Mass evacuations are underway in France and Spain as wildfires, described as unprecedented by French officials, have forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes. The blazes are fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions across both countries.
In southwestern France, near Bordeaux, over 30 fires are currently active. The situation has been described as a "disaster" by local residents, with one British couple holidaying in the region noting the encroaching flames and the accumulation of ash. "At about seven o'clock you could smell smoke. We thought someone was having a barbecue," one of the holidaymakers told BBC Newsbeat. They added that the smoke "really hits your lungs right away."
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting with ministers to address the crisis. The government has characterized the scale of the fires as "totally unprecedented."
In Spain, the Prime Minister has warned of "complex hours" ahead as authorities struggle to contain the rapidly spreading flames. Wildfires have forced the evacuation of over 250,000 people across the country. The intensity of the fires is visible in areas near Madrid, where smoke has obscured the sky.
The final stage of the Tour de France, originally planned for Sunday, has been shortened from 133km to 89km. Organizers and police have stated that security forces need to be redeployed to assist in wildfire-affected areas.
Residents evacuating in areas like Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc have described the situation as "stressful." In some cases, people have sought shelter in exhibition centers, with some sleeping on mats on the floor.
