KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 220,000 people have been evacuated as massive wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain, forcing thousands from their homes and prompting both governments to deploy additional emergency resources.
French authorities ordered the evacuation of nearly 60,000 more residents near Bordeaux, raising the total number of people displaced in southwestern France to about 200,000. The evacuations have mainly affected the Gironde and Landes regions.
President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to assist firefighters and emergency responders battling the blazes, according to the BBC.
In Spain, the government declared a national emergency after three wildfires west of Madrid merged into a single blaze that officials said had exceeded firefighters’ capacity to contain.
Around 25,000 people have been evacuated, while nearly 40,000 others have been advised to remain indoors as the fire advances toward the municipalities of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva, about 50 kilometres west of Madrid.
Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the incident as the worst wildfire in the region’s history, blaming a combination of extreme heat, strong winds and multiple converging fire fronts.
“The wildfire is at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain,” Madrid regional emergency chief Carlos Novillo told reporters.
He said crews were unable to directly attack the fire in some areas and were instead concentrating on defensive operations to protect lives and property.
Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) has been deployed to help contain the blaze, with efforts focused on safeguarding communities around the town of El Escorial.
Authorities are also monitoring another major wildfire in neighbouring Ávila province, where officials fear the Burgohondo fire could merge with the Madrid blaze. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said every effort was being made to prevent the two fires from joining.
Madrid government delegate Francisco Martín warned the number of people affected could rise as strong winds carried burning embers over long distances, allowing the fire to spread rapidly.
In Ávila, El Tiemblo mayor Arturo Varas González said the flames travelled about 20 kilometres from Navaluenga to the Iruelas Valley in less than 30 minutes.
“It was horrific,” he said.
Spanish officials said at least 6,000 hectares had burned in the Madrid region, while the wildfire in Ávila had consumed nearly 9,000 hectares.
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