Wildfires are burning across Spain and France, forcing mass evacuations and prompting crisis meetings as a severe heatwave intensifies across Europe. In Spain, approximately 77,000 hectares have been consumed by fires, with the blaze in the Ávila region becoming the largest in the country's recent history. More than 90,000 people have been evacuated from areas around Madrid and Ávila.
One evacuee, Olga Congacha, 50, described feeling "panicked" as she fled her village west of Madrid. She returned briefly to collect medicine and found her home covered in ash and streets deserted. Authorities reported that winds were pushing some fires away from Madrid, but villages in their path continued to be evacuated.
In France, wildfires are burning approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the city of Bordeaux, though local officials have stated there are no immediate plans for evacuation. The Gironde region, which has already been severely affected by fires this summer, is again facing significant blazes.
The escalating situation prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to convene a crisis meeting. Europe has been experiencing extreme temperatures, exacerbating the risk and spread of wildfires across the continent. Earlier this summer, fires in the same French region destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee.