More than 250,000 flee wildfires in France and Spain
Massive wildfires in France and Spain have forced over 250,000 people to evacuate their homes as high temperatures and strong winds fuel the flames. Authorities are struggling to contain the fires, which are approaching major cities like Bordeaux.
Why it matters
The scale of these evacuations highlights the increasing threat of extreme weather events and climate-driven disasters in Europe.
Firefighters battle a wildfire in Cebreros, Castilla y Leon, Spain, on July 21, 2022. (Junta de Castilla y León/Handout via Xinhua)
Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in south-west France as strong winds push flames towards the city of Bordeaux, with one official saying they "are far from having the fire under control."
More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents.
In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there are "complex times ahead". Meanwhile, authorities in València confirmed the death of a man in a fire.
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