166,000 evacuated as wildfires rage in France, Spain

More than 166,000 people were evacuated in France and Spain as unprecedented wildfires raged near Madrid and Bordeaux, threatening forests, homes and tourist areas.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday ordered military support to help battle the worst wildfire France has ever seen after seeking European Union (EU) assistance. Officials warned the blaze was moving towards Bordeaux, a city flanked by tourist destinations and world-renowned vineyards.

Some 44,000 people fled the Cap Ferret peninsula south of Bordeaux, where flames threatened the only road out. Boats evacuated hundreds more, while more than 50 homes were destroyed.

At least 141,000 people were evacuated in southwestern France and 25,000 in the Madrid region, including more than 1,200 elderly and disabled people, French and Spanish officials said.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the scale of the fires was unprecedented, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that 1,000 military personnel would be deployed to battle the flames, which have already ravaged 22,000 hectares in France and injured about 40 firefighters.

Emergency shelters were set up in schools and gymnasiums in southwestern France for tourists and residents.

Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government's emergency management chief, said the wildfire near the capital was "at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain."

Two of the three major wildfires west of Madrid have merged into one and were heading towards the town of Navas del Rey, around 50 kilometers from the capital. The new blaze was close to merging with another wildfire in the neighboring Castilla y Leon region, officials said.

Spain has been hit by a series of wildfires in recent weeks. The largest active fire was still burning in Guadalajara province, around 100 kilometers north of Madrid, where it has scorched about 32,000 hectares.

Firefighting reinforcements have been sent from across France and, following appeals for assistance, the European Commission said it was sending four water-bombing planes to Spain and three to France.

Some European regions have experienced at least two heat waves since May. Drought, blamed on human-induced climate change, has also heightened the threat of wildfires this year, the World Weather Attribution group said in a study published this week.

(With input from AFP)