France and Spain wildfires force more than 325,000 people to evacuate their homes

French and Spanish firefighters continued their efforts on Sunday to contain massive wildfires that have forced more than 325,000 people to evacuate their homes, particularly near Bordeaux in southwestern France, where 240 houses have been destroyed and flames are now approximately 15 kilometers from the city, as well as in several other regions of Spain.

The Bordeaux area is facing a huge fire known as “fire thunderstorms,” in which extreme heat rises in an updraft to meet cooler air masses at the top, according to Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for the French National Federation of Firefighters.

This phenomenon is well-known in countries such as Canada and Australia but is rare in France.

A large fire in the Gironde department, on France’s Atlantic coast and centered on the city of Bordeaux, spread rapidly overnight, consuming an area of 42,000 hectares—more than four times the size of Paris. The blaze is burning just 15 kilometers from the greater Bordeaux area. However, Mayor Thomas Cazenave confirmed that evacuating the city is “not currently under consideration.”

This fire ranks among the largest recorded in France since World War II.

Approximately 220,000 people have been evacuated since Wednesday due to the fire that swept through the area surrounding the famous Arcachon Bay tourist region.

Yet some residents refuse to leave their homes, such as Sebastien Pequegnot, a 50-year-old former soldier who has lived in the town of Barbe since 20 years ago.

“I am somewhat worried; my wife and son have been evacuated, but I am staying here because I want to help my brother-in-law, who runs a shelter for 60 dogs, in case we need to evacuate them,” he said.

Gendarmerie forces explained that if residents refuse to leave, they record “their names, addresses, and phone numbers,” and will return to assist them if the situation becomes “critical.”

In Bourg, located between the upscale coastal resort of Cap Ferret and the city of Bordeaux, aerial footage from AFP showed the ferocity of the fire: rows of destroyed homes, burnt-out cars, and buildings completely razed.

In the neighboring Landes department, where firefighters managed to contain the fire but not extinguish it, 30,000 people were evacuated.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that the situation remains “very unfavorable” regarding fires in Gironde, as well as in the Landes and Var (southeastern) departments.

He noted that fires have so far consumed about 115,000 hectares in France since the beginning of the year, a level “much higher than we have seen before,” adding that firefighting crews are dealing with “30 to 40 fires” daily.

Concerns are intensifying due to weather forecasts, which predict a new heatwave, while firefighters approach a stage of “operational impossibility,” according to Brocardi.

In the Gironde department, which has the highest number of camping sites in France, 45 sites were evacuated, displacing approximately 40,000 campers.

Meanwhile, the army has been called in to provide reinforcements, with a total of 1,500 soldiers mobilized starting Saturday evening.

The fire in the Var department spread to cover a total area of 4,500 hectares, despite efforts by firefighters who warn of a “high risk of re-ignition” due to strong winds. About 2,000 people have been evacuated.

The dryness of vegetation, caused by severe drought across Europe in recent months, has led to rapid forest fires, a situation exacerbated by record heatwaves that swept the continent in June and July.

Climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution group concluded in a study published on Thursday that climate change, primarily driven by the continued burning of oil, coal, and gas, is already intensifying the current drought.

While noting that “difficult hours” lie ahead for the country, he pointed to positive developments overnight in containing the fires surrounding Madrid.

One person was killed in a fire that broke out on Saturday near Valencia in eastern Spain, where 15,000 people were evacuated on Sunday due to another blaze.

Authorities reported the evacuation of approximately 60,000 people in the Madrid region, which is facing the worst wildfires in modern Spanish history. The total number of people who have left their homes or tourist accommodations in Spain has reached 75,000.

The fires have consumed around 77,000 hectares across Spain.

In a gymnasium in Viamonte, Madrid region, converted into a shelter, Margarita, 70, said, “The Queen came to greet us, and I was wearing these dirty clothes...”