267,000 Evacuated Due to Wildfires in France and Spain
The number of people evacuated due to wildfires in southwestern France and around Madrid, Spain, has reached 267,000. In France, it is the largest peacetime evacuation in history, with 197,000 people moved from the Bordeaux area.
Mass Evacuations in France and Spain
On Saturday, July 16, 2022, the number of people evacuated due to wildfires in southwestern France and the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, reached 267,000, according to officials from both countries.
In France, 197,000 people were evacuated from the Bordeaux area, marking the largest peacetime evacuation in the country's history, the Interior Ministry said. The evacuees are being housed in schools and sports halls. France has deployed 1,000 soldiers to assist firefighters in the Bordeaux region.
In Spain, 70,000 people were evacuated from villages west of Madrid. According to AFP, the sky over Madrid is covered by brownish-gray smoke, and in some parts of the city, a thick layer of black ash covers rooftop terraces. Residents are forced to keep windows closed due to the smell of smoke. Forests are burning just a few kilometers from Madrid.
No civilian casualties have been reported so far, but earlier this week, two French firefighters died near Bordeaux.
