More than 280,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as devastating wildfires rage across central Spain and southwestern France.
High winds have left firefighters struggling to battle flames as Spain declared a national emergency, with multiple fires merging outside Madrid.
France has deployed its army, with hundreds of soldiers joining efforts to contain the flames, which have ripped through a record 98,000 hectares since January.
On Saturday, authorities ordered the evacuation of large parts of Bordeaux’s suburbs, including the areas of Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac.
“The fires which are hitting our country have reached a level that has never been seen before,” French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X on Saturday.
Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, said it was the “worst fire in the history of the region” and that conditions had been made worse by a combination of high temperatures, wind, and the merging of a number of fires.
open image in galleryEuropean Union countries have sent helicopters, planes and ground teams. These include 40 personnel from a Romanian forest fire team, two Portuguese and two Swedish Air Tractor planes, four helicopters – including two from Germany, one from the Czech Republic and one from Slovakia – and from Switzerland, four light helicopters and 30 ground personnel.
“Europe stands alongside France and Spain in the face of the devastating wildfires ravaging them,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a post on X.
Residents forced to evacuate have described apocalyptic scenes as they left their homes behind.
Marion Girault-Rime was awoken at around 4am on Friday by an emergency alert on her phone that instructed every citizen of the wealthy resort town of Lege-Cap Ferret to evacuate immediately.
She grabbed underwear and toothbrushes and, along with her daughter Mahau and boyfriend Tony, rushed to the car. “Luckily, my husband and son were not at home,” she said.
open image in galleryIt was not long until they were overwhelmed by the smell of smoke as they joined hundreds of other cars fleeing the area.
Ms Girault-Rime was left speechless as cinders blew across the windscreen as though it was “raining ash”, with bright red flames erupting and a towering pillar of black smoke. The scene was “frightening and spectacular”, the 53-year-old told The Independent.
Colonel Romain Moutard, the deputy director of the Landes fire and rescue service, said the fire was “apocalyptic” and described the situation as “Dante-esque” as the flames spread.
The length of the final stage of the Tour de France has been shortened to allow police officers to be redeployed to battle the raging wildfires. The race’s final stage on Sunday will be reduced in length by a third, the Paris police department said, in an extraordinary measure that underscores the gravity of the fires.
The UK government is advising citizens in Spain to avoid travelling through affected areas of Madrid and Avila, while those in France are being told to follow the advice of local authorities. Prospective holidaymakers are advised to check with their accommodation or travel provider before making the journey.
A French foreign minister urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans.
open image in galleryWildfires are also affecting parts of Scotland, with a major incident declared in the Cairngorms national park.
More than 500 firefighters have been tackling the blaze, which has raged for the past 10 days and forced locals from their homes in the remote region.
Residents of Nethy Bridge, a Scottish village facing evacuation, are “frustrated” that the fire has not yet been brought under control.
“A lot of people are upset, angry and frustrated at the ongoing situation, because the Scottish government said a week ago [on Wednesday] that they had enough resources to deal with it, and they said on Thursday that the fire was contained,” said Sandy McCook, chair of the Nethy Bridge and Vicinity Community Council.
“My argument with that is, if you said the fire was contained and you had enough resources last Wednesday and Thursday, why are we still fighting it 10 days later, and it’s still running out of control? It is still not controlled in any way, shape or form.”
Mr McCook said that residents of the Cairngorms village could see large plumes of smoke from the wildfire on Friday before they were evacuated. He added: “Apocalyptic is the word for the pall of smoke that was on the go yesterday.”
open image in galleryScotland’s first minister John Swinney has said that the Cairngorms national park wildfire is still a “very serious situation”.
“Residents, businesses and people staying in the affected areas will understandably be very worried,” he added. “My thoughts are with them and I thank them for their understanding.
“With the fire changing to be in the direction of Nethy Bridge yesterday afternoon, a precautionary evacuation was put in place, and a fire break was successfully established overnight to protect the village.
“Police officers visited all properties in Nethy Bridge, and officers are in the village today to support residents.
“The wind has changed direction overnight, which means the track of the fire has altered once again, and the threat to Nethy Bridge has reduced, for the moment at least. Ground and helicopter resources are being focused on the current path of the fire, and new fire breaks constructed.”
The first minister said such situations can change “very quickly and dramatically”, reflecting the challenges faced by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and other responders.