Fleeing a wall of flames: Tourists describe France wildfires escape
Tourists in south-west France are recounting harrowing escapes as massive wildfires force the evacuation of over 220,000 people across the region and central Spain. Despite the ongoing danger and extreme heat, authorities are working to manage the crisis while advising travelers to remain cautious but not necessarily cancel their plans.
Why it matters
The wildfires highlight the increasing impact of extreme climate events on international tourism and the strain placed on emergency infrastructure during peak summer travel seasons.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Holidaymakers, seen here on Friday, have been arriving in Arcachon by boat after being evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula in south-west France
Families have relived how their tranquil holidays in France turned into a race to escape raging wildfires.
Tourists told the BBC of emergency alerts in the middle of the night, desperate drives just metres from six-storey high flames and the sight of people flocking to beaches with their suitcases.
Huge forest fires in south-west France and central Spain have displaced more than 220,000 people, with the French military drafted in to help and the Spanish government declaring a national emergency.
Winds and continued heat are still helping to fan the flames with some tourists reporting smelling acrid smoke like a "bonfire" far outside the affected areas.
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