Spain and France wildfires force over 100,000 evacuations
Massive wildfires are raging across central Spain and southwestern France. In Spain, fires near Madrid have merged into a blaze that forced the evacuation of more than 63,000 residents in the Madrid and Ávila regions and prompted the first‑ever national emergency declaration. Spanish police arrested a tractor driver suspected of igniting one of the fires, and the military unit UME was deployed alongside thousands of firefighters and aerial assets.
In France, the Gironde department, including the Cap Ferret peninsula, has seen more than 140,000 people evacuated as fires destroy thousands of hectares of forest. President Emmanuel Macron ordered the army to support civil protection, initially sending over 500 troops, later increasing the force to more than 1,000. French authorities have also appealed to the EU for additional reinforcements.
Both countries are struggling with extreme heat, strong winds and tinder‑dry conditions, and have mobilised extensive civilian and military resources to protect populated areas and limit environmental damage.