Continuation of forest fires in France and Spain

Paris, July 24 (KUNA) -- Destructive forest fires continued to spread on Friday in the French regions of Gironde and Landes in the southwest of the country, and in the Spanish capital, Madrid, leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents and holidaymakers as flames consumed thousands of hectares of woodland.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a post on the social media platform X that "the situation remains highly tense due to the fires ravaging the country, particularly in the Gironde region." Macron noted that France had requested the European Union to activate its civil protection mechanism and that reinforcements, including two Canadair firefighting aircraft from Croatia and two Air Tractor aircraft from Portugal, as well as two heavy-lift helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, would soon arrive.

For his part, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that approximately 40,000 people had been or were being evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula, located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arcachon Bay. He added that around 800 firefighters from across France continued to battle the blaze in Gironde, where fires since Wednesday had already destroyed more than 10,000 hectares of forest.

In Spain, the government declared a national emergency as hundreds of firefighters, supported by aerial firefighting units, continued to combat fires fueled by high temperatures and strong winds. Isabel Diaz Ayuso, president of the Madrid regional government, said that at least 19,000 people in the region had been evacuated or advised to shelter in place. She added that the forest fires in densely populated areas surrounding the capital, Madrid, were the worst in the region's history, having already consumed approximately 6,000 hectares of land.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the situation as "tragic," urging citizens to exercise the utmost caution and vigilance. Three fires remained active west of Madrid in the areas of Villa del Prado and San Martin de Valdeiglesias. (End) M.B. / A.M.S.