Widespread wildfires continue to wreak havoc in France and Spain, sparking concerns among authorities and residents alike. As the temperatures in the fire-affected areas are set to rise again, firefighters are racing against time to battle the wildfires. France has launched its largest peacetime evacuation operation since the end of World War II, with wildfires edging closer to the historic city of Bordeaux.
Approximately 220,000 people have been evacuated in France, while over 75,000 individuals have been forced to leave their homes in Spain, with another 30,000 required to seek shelter on-site. As the wildfires continue to spread, it is anticipated that both countries will see further evacuation efforts.
In France, the fires have ravaged the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast and spread to the outskirts of the historic city of Bordeaux on Sunday, July 26. Firefighters are working tirelessly to prevent the wildfires from advancing further towards the central areas of Bordeaux. Bordeaux is not only a renowned wine-producing region in France but also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, stated on Sunday that the fire was about 15 kilometers away from entering the city center.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez took to social media platform X to express, “The wildfire front experienced another challenging night, and the situation remains very unfavorable.”
He emphasized that the situation in the Gironde department in southwestern France, where Bordeaux is located, is particularly severe.
“In Gironde, the fires became extremely violent and unpredictable once night fell, forming their own wind patterns and irregularly spreading towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area,” Nunez said.
He also mentioned that by the end of the night, the intensity of the fires had slightly diminished. The current area destroyed by wildfires in the region has reached 42,000 hectares (about 104,000 acres).
Nunez stated that firefighters are also battling a major fire in the Landes department, where 3,600 hectares of land have been scorched. Furthermore, in the Var department in southeastern France, nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated as a precaution.
The Interior Minister further informed that authorities have deployed 2,500 firefighters (including a Swiss firefighting team), 1,500 military personnel, and approximately 1,200 police officers to combat the wildfires in the Gironde department.
French government officials reported that around 100,000 hectares of land have been burnt in France since the beginning of the year. Nunez referred to this figure as a “historic record.”
On Saturday, EU Commission President von der Leyen announced that the EU rescue teams have dispatched five planes and two helicopters to assist in France.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the wildfire-affected areas in the Avila province. It is one of the three most severely affected central regions in the country, along with Madrid and Toledo.
Local authorities stated that another major fire in the Castellon province in eastern Spain has destroyed over 4,300 hectares of land.
Juanfran Perez, President of the Valencia region, near the site, told reporters, “The fire is out of control; from a technical perspective, extinguishing this major fire is extremely challenging, especially given the persistent adverse weather conditions.”
The wildfires have spread to the Espadan natural park in Spain, where vast pine and cork oak forests grow.
These fires are believed to be a result of ongoing drought and consecutive heatwaves.
Temperatures in the wildfire-affected areas of France and Spain are expected to rise again starting Monday, July 27, peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday. Many regions in Spain and France will see temperatures soar into the thirties this week.
The hot weather in France may persist for several days, while in Spain, the high temperatures are projected to last even longer.
However, the gusty winds have subsided, with lower wind speeds expected at least until Tuesday, aiding firefighters in controlling the blazes.
(This article was based on reports from Reuters and CNN.)