More than 300,000 evacuated as wildfires spread across France and Spain
Wildfires across France and Spain forced more than 300,000 people from homes and holiday accommodation by July 26, with evacuations expanding around Bordeaux.
More than 300,000 people had been evacuated from homes and holiday accommodation in France and Spain by Sunday, July 26, as major wildfires continued to spread across parts of southwestern Europe.
Around Bordeaux, authorities ordered about 55,000 people to leave nearby villages overnight as the fire advanced. Officials were assessing how the blaze could develop and considering further evacuation scenarios, according to reporting from the region.
The emergency has placed heavy demands on firefighting and civil-protection services during the peak summer travel season. Evacuation totals rose sharply through Sunday as authorities moved residents and visitors away from threatened areas in both countries.
Earlier reporting from southwestern France had put the number evacuated around Bordeaux at roughly 200,000, underscoring how quickly the situation changed. The wider France-and-Spain total later exceeded 300,000.
The figures remain subject to revision as fires move and evacuation orders change. Authorities have urged people in affected areas to follow local emergency instructions and avoid routes needed by responders.
