In brief
French authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula after a wildfire ate up more than 8,700 hectares. Hundreds of holidaymakers were rescued by boat, with roads opened for the rest to leave. Two firefighters died near Bordeaux airport, and Spain declared a national emergency after fires near Madrid surged out of control. European support, including aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is arriving to help contain the blaze.
The fire that tore through the Gironde region forced a massive evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist area on the southwest coast of France.
French officials directed the entire peninsula to be evacuated, as a wildfire that began in the town of Saumos on Tuesday had already consumed more than 8,700 hectares (about 21,500 acres). Hundreds of visitors were rescued by boat from the beachside community of Lège‑Cap Ferret, while others were instructed to leave by road along the D106 towards Bordeaux. Four piers offered ferry services between 07:00 and 10:00 local time to help people escape the flames.
The fire took a deadly toll: two firefighters lost their lives on Tuesday while fighting a blaze near the Bordeaux airport. No additional casualties were reported this evening.
The crisis extended beyond France. In Spain, occupants in several villages close to Madrid were ordered to leave after fires swept through the Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias areas. Interior Minister Fernando Grande‑Marlaska declared a national emergency, citing that the fires had become “out of control” even as their advance stalled in recent hours.
Spain’s escalation was echoed by France’s President Emmanuel Macron, who announced that assistance would soon arrive from European agencies. Aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are expected to join fires fighting efforts on the Atlantic coast.
In the meantime, authorities are monitoring evacuated homes to prevent vandalism and continue deploying ground and air resources as they work to extinguish the blaze that threatens to engulf the entire region.
