French authorities have ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula in southwest France as rapidly spreading wildfires continue to threaten one of the country’s busiest summer tourist destinations, while Spain has declared a national emergency as separate blazes burn near Madrid.
More than 40,000 people have either been evacuated or are in the process of leaving the Cap Ferret peninsula west of Bordeaux, according to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. The wildfires are among several major blazes burning across southwestern France, where extreme heat, dry vegetation and strong winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts.
Cap Ferret Evacuation Follows Rapid Fire Growth
The wildfire in France’s Gironde region began Tuesday and has burned approximately 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres), according to local authorities.
Hundreds of evacuees have been transported by boat across the Bay of Arcachon while emergency services continue moving residents and tourists away from the advancing fire.
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas described the blaze as an “XXL fire” and said 53 homes and a campsite had been destroyed. Firefighters, however, succeeded in protecting about 2,000 homes from the flames.
Authorities expanded evacuation orders Friday morning to include the town of Arès after the fire spread rapidly overnight, according to fire and rescue chief Marc Vermeulen.
The Cap Ferret peninsula lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Arcachon. Although fewer than 8,000 people live there year-round, the population swells to around 80,000 during the summer tourism season.
Additional Wildfires Force More Evacuations
Another major wildfire that erupted Thursday near Biscarrosse in France’s Landes region forced the evacuation of more than 23,000 people.
Officials said approximately 18,000 residents and visitors in Biscarrosse and another 5,000 in Parentis-en-Born were evacuated from homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.
Landes prefect Gilles Clavreul said firefighters were unlikely to contain the blaze before the end of Friday, citing forecast temperatures of 36–37°C (97–99°F) and wind gusts reaching 50 km/h (31 mph).
No additional casualties were reported overnight. Earlier in the week, two firefighters were killed while battling a separate wildfire near Bordeaux Airport.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the wildfire situation as “very tense,” particularly in the Gironde region. France has requested assistance through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, with firefighting aircraft expected from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Authorities also confirmed that evacuated neighborhoods would remain under police surveillance to help prevent looting while additional ground crews and aircraft continue firefighting operations.
Holidaymakers Describe Overnight Escape
Among those evacuated was David Morton, a headmaster from Gloucester, England, who was vacationing with his family in Petit Piquey on the Cap Ferret peninsula.
Morton told the BBC that emergency text alerts and landline warnings woke the family shortly after 3 a.m., prompting an immediate evacuation.
He described joining long lines of traffic moving away from the peninsula while emergency vehicles headed toward the advancing wildfire.
Passing the flames near Lège, he said the fire was “enormous” and watching an entire forest burn highlighted the scale of the emergency.
Despite the danger, Morton said the evacuation remained orderly, with residents and visitors cooperating calmly with emergency officials.
Spain Declares National Emergency
Wildfires have also intensified in central Spain, prompting Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to declare a national emergency.
Major fires continue burning near Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias in the Madrid region, as well as Burgohondo in the neighboring province of Ávila.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as “dramatic,” saying wildfires were ravaging thousands of hectares across multiple communities.
He said the Spanish government had deployed all available emergency and recovery resources.
Spanish emergency services reported that more than 10,000 people had been evacuated.
An update issued Friday morning said two of the fires remained out of control, although officials reported that their rate of spread had slowed in recent hours.
Authorities in both France and Spain continue urging residents and tourists to avoid affected areas while firefighters battle multiple large blazes under severe weather conditions.
This report is based on reporting by BBC News.
