Wildfires spread in France, Spain faces critical moment due to the blazes
The flames are between 15 and 19 miles from Bordeaux and nine miles from its metropolitan area, in the Gironde region of southwestern France, city Mayor Thomas Cazenave reported on Sunday. He does not plan to evacuate the area.
Image of the fires in Spain and France
Massive wildfires have scorched over 100,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 325,000 people in France and Spain, with Bordeaux and Madrid under siege by a fire that has reduced homes and businesses to ashes.
The flames are between 15 and 19 miles from Bordeaux and nine miles from its metropolitan area, in the Gironde region of southwestern France, city Mayor Thomas Cazenave reported on Sunday. He does not plan to evacuate the area.
On the city's docks, orange smoke darkened the sky at dawn on Sunday, with a strong smell of burning in the streets.
"The situation remains very dire" on the Gironde front—world-famous for its vineyards—but also in the Landes (southwest) and Var (southeast) departments, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated on Sunday on X.
Thousands of exhausted firefighters, aided by 1,500 military personnel and 1,200 police officers, battled the columns of fire that are devouring almost everything in their path and forced the closure of a major highway and the suspension of train service south of Bordeaux.
More than 50,000 additional people had to flee their homes near Bordeaux, bringing the total number of evacuees to more than 220,000 due solely to this fire, which has scorched over 160 square miles, authorities announced on Sunday.
Aurore Vigreux, a 38-year-old lawyer who lives in Le Barp, has taken refuge at her ex-husband's house with her daughter and several animals: a dog, two rabbits and a cat.
The flames and strong winds have forced the closure of the A63 highway that connects Bordeaux to the Spanish border, regional authorities reported.
The SNCF railway company also suspended some train service.
"Unpredictable fire"
The heat is causing whirlwinds that have made the wildfire "erratic and uncontrollable," said Fire Captain Nicolas Braz.
Cestas, a town of 17,000 residents near the city of Bordeaux, "is fortunately deserted," said its mayor, Jérôme Steffe, on BFMTV.
Another fire remains very active in the Var department. It has already burned more than 11 square miles in five days.
Flames have also been ravaging a section of the tourist island of Corsica for days.
"Difficult time"
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that there are still "difficult times" ahead, but noted that the night "has been very positive."
On Saturday night, the president of the Valencian region, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, reported the evacuation of "around 15,000 people" in Castellón.
On Saturday, the provinces of Madrid and Ávila were affected by the fires, along with Toledo, which also borders the capital.
The fires around Madrid have burned nearly 100 square miles and forced the evacuation of some 60,000 people, according to authorities.
LATEST
