Wildfires Reach the Edge of Bordeaux as Spain Declares an Emergency
Wildfires bore down on the outskirts of Bordeaux as more than 300,000 people were evacuated across France and Spain, prompting President Macron to convene an emergency meeting of his cabinet. Spain declared a national emergency and appealed for international firefighting help. Officials warned of “difficult hours ahead” as record heat showed no sign of relenting.
The fires, fanned by a fourth week of extreme temperatures across southern Europe, have forced mass evacuations from the French Atlantic coast and from swathes of Spain around Madrid and beyond. France mobilised soldiers and water-bombing aircraft, some drawn from fellow European Union states, while Spain sought outside assistance as its own resources were stretched. The blazes have already been called France’s largest peacetime evacuation. For the many Britons holidaying in the region, the danger is acute. Watch whether Bordeaux is threatened directly and how far the fires spread.