ARCACHON, France (AP) — Major wildfires blazed uncontrollably in southwestern France and central Spain on Friday, causing authorities to evacuate approximately 200,000 people from their homes. Some residents fled by boat as flames consumed the tourist area along France’s Atlantic coast.
Authorities in France reported injuries to dozens of firefighters, though no fatalities were noted in either country.
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, about 141,000 people fled from their homes in the departments of Gironde and Landes. In central Spain, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior indicated that 60,000 residents were forced to leave their dwellings.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez revealed that the enormous wildfire, spreading through southwestern France, was moving toward Bordeaux. Speaking to French television channel Tf1, Nunez mentioned that the fire had earlier led to evacuation orders in the Cap Ferret peninsula, ravaging 140 square kilometers and triggering the departure of 110,000 individuals from Gironde.
Nunez emphasized the difficulty of controlling the fire due to winds changes, stating, “Now it’s moving eastward towards Bordeaux Metropolitan Area. We’re redeploying our response to combat it from the ground and prevent its advance towards Bordeaux.”
President Emmanuel Macron has instructed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to activate the government’s crisis response unit, mobilizing military forces to bolster emergency services.
In response to questions about whether Bordeaux was under threat, Nunez replied, “For now, no. We are committed to protecting it using ground resources, including requisitioned military assets and our firefighters.”
The blaze near Cap Ferret, 60 kilometers from Bordeaux, engulfed 140 square kilometers since Wednesday, impacting areas known for picturesque landscapes and sandy beaches, along with oyster farming villages and luxury resorts. Some evacuees traveled by boat to safety.
A separate wildfire in Landes led to 31,000 evacuations. Both nations have sought assistance from other European Union members.
Laurent Moretti, a resident from Arès, expressed concern to the AP, stating, “It’s highly impressive and even frightening. Never before has there been an evacuation of this magnitude. We sincerely hope firefighters can control it quickly.”
About 20,000 people had already been evacuated from villages and vacation resorts by Thursday, but this number surged on Friday as fires raged opportunely.
Local authorities in Gironde reported the destruction of 53 homes and a campsite, along with injuries to 42 firefighters.
Approximately 1,500 evacuees reached Arcachon by sea, taking refuge via small water taxis and larger vessels.
Hundreds of French firefighters have been mobilized, with additional reinforcements arriving Friday to bolster efforts both on ground and in the air.
Another significant wildfire ravaged 25 square kilometers further south along the coast. The flames remained uncontained as strong winds hampered firefighting measures.
Authorities believe both fires began accidentally.
President Macron affirmed, “We will soon receive reinforcements, including two Croatian Canadair tankers, two Portuguese Air Tractors, and two high-capacity Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska noted assistance from Italy and Greece, each contributing two Canadair planes to disperse water.
Spain declared a national emergency over wildfires for the first time. Fires near Madrid and the adjacent province of Ávila necessitated evacuation of about 60,000 residents from towns to the west of the capital.
Fires have intensified due to a heatwave, with temperatures expected to exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas of Spain.
The two major fires near Madrid merged into one, quickly consuming 30 square kilometers by Friday afternoon. Regional President Isabel Díaz-Ayuso described it as Madrid’s worst in history.
Francisco Martín, a government representative in Madrid, reported that 20,000 more individuals were ordered to stay indoors in towns west of the capital, with further evacuations possibly imminent. The priority now is safeguarding San Lorenzo, which houses El Escorial, the 16th-century royal palace and monastery of Philip II.
Elsewhere, a fire in Ávila, under two hours northwest of Madrid, consumed 90 square kilometers, prompting another 1,500 people to flee. Spanish Civil Guard detained one person and is investigating another for employing heavy machinery in a fire-risk area.
Burgohondo Mayor Francisco Martínez shared with Spanish public TV that, in his 60 years, he had never encountered anything like it in the town.
Spanish residents snapped images of flaming walls and smoke columns advancing through forests and bushes. Strong winds and mountainous terrain complicated firefighter operations using trucks and bulldozers.
Spain has recorded its worst fires, affecting both Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid within a week. Firefighters continued efforts in Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, where a fire devastated 320 square kilometers over the last week.
Earlier this month, a southern Spain blaze claimed 13 lives, marking the country’s deadliest incident in recent memory.
Minister for Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen stated that 1,140 square kilometers burned this year, five times the area scorched in the same period in 2025.
There were nine severe fires across Spain still active Friday.
President Sanchez called for cross-party climate change action on Wednesday, asserting its importance in adapting to increasingly fire-prone conditions. Spain’s recent summers have seen record temperatures and intensifying wildfires.
Wildfire analyst Raúl Quílez remarked on rural areas becoming more susceptible to fires due to the abandonment of agricultural land that traditionally created buffer zones around villages. Currently, trees and underbrush often reach residential areas, putting them at risk.
Such circumstances make conditions perfect for this type of wildfire, noted Quílez, speaking from Valencia, where he works as an analyst for regional firefighters.
Alicia León in Chapinería, Spain, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. Petrequin reported from Paris. Wilson reported from Barcelona.
This story was translated from English by an AP editor utilizing generative AI technology.
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