Bordeaux under threat as France, Spain battle 'unprecedented' wildfires
Unprecedented wildfires in France and Spain have forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate, with flames approaching the city of Bordeaux.
On Sunday, wildfires advanced towards the outskirts of the historic French wine region city of Bordeaux, as France and Spain battle blazes that have already forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. In France, about 220,000 people have been evacuated, while in Spain more than 75,000 have been evacuated and a further 30,000 ordered to shelter in place, authorities said.
In France, fires have ravaged the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, a popular tourist destination, and spread through areas surrounding Bordeaux, where firefighters are trying to prevent the flames from reaching the regional capital. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the fire was about 15 km away from the entry points to the main city.
"We have a fire that is not under control and which is moving in the direction of the city area," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France 2 TV on Sunday evening. "The overall situation is very unfavourable, we are in a situation that is unprecedented." Cazenave earlier said there were no plans to evacuate Bordeaux, whose wider metropolitan area has a population of about 850,000. Nunez said authorities would continue to assess the situation calmly and realistically.
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited fire-hit areas in Avila, one of three central provinces affected by major blazes, alongside Madrid and Toledo. Flames have devastated more than 50,000 hectares of countryside in Avila, making it the biggest wildfire in Spain's recent history, according to Environment Minister Sara Aagesen.
The fires are the latest disasters linked to prolonged drought and successive heatwaves that scientists say have been intensified by climate change. In both Bordeaux and Avila, July high temperatures have averaged 32 degrees Celsius, almost 6 C above the month's normal high between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
Under the European Union's civil protection mechanism, Greece and Italy have each sent two Canadair firefighting aircraft to Spain, while Portugal has deployed more than 100 military personnel along with equipment. Two more planes will arrive as soon as possible from Turkey, the Spanish interior ministry said.
