France orders evacuation of tourist spot as hundreds flee wildfires by boat
Severe wildfires in France's Gironde region have forced the mass evacuation of thousands of tourists and residents. Authorities are coordinating international aid as the fires continue to spread across the Atlantic coast.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the increasing threat of climate-driven natural disasters to tourism and public safety in Europe.
French authorities have ordered the evacuation of the entirety of the Cap Ferret peninsula (Lège-Cap Ferret) on the south-west coast, with hundreds of people escaping the area by boat.
The tourism destination is being evacuated as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire that has raged in the Gironde region for days.
The fire, which began on Tuesday in Saumos, continued to burn overnight with 8,700 hectares (around 21,500 acres) consumed by the flames.
Meanwhile, the government in Spain has declared a national emergency as wildfires burn out of control in several areas close to the capital Madrid.
No further casualties have been reported overnight in south-west France, although two firefighters died on Tuesday while tackling a blaze near Bordeaux airport.
Down the Atlantic coast, around the town of Biscarosse in France's Landes region, another "major" fire that began on Thursday afternoon has prompted the evacuations of more than 23,000 people.
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