France and Spain race to control wildfires as suburbs of Bordeaux begin evacuation – live
Spain has declared a national emergency as severe wildfires threaten areas near Madrid and Ávila, forcing the evacuation of over 63,000 people. Government officials have described the situation as critical, with fires currently exceeding the capacity of regional firefighting resources.
Why it matters
The declaration of a national emergency highlights the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven natural disasters in Europe, necessitating unprecedented central government intervention.
Spain’s government declared a national emergency on Thursday evening after wildfires threatened areas near the capital and in the neighbouring province of Ávila, leading to the evacuation or confinement of more than 63,000 people.
A national emergency, which allows central government to assume overall control of powers and responsibilities that are usually the domain of Spain’s self-governing regions, has only been declared once before, during the countrywide blackout of April 2025.
The regional government of Madrid requested assistance, describing the situation as one of “extreme gravity”. It said at least four active fires could advance “beyond current extinguishing capacity”. The fires remained uncontained on Friday.
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