Raging forest fires across Europe have forced at least 200,000 people to flee for safety.
Spain has declared the wildfires a national emergency, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling the disaster “a very difficult night” for thousands in a post on X.
The uncontained forest fires are concentrated in France and Spain, with some fires burning outside Madrid. The dangerous situation has forced authorities to evacuate thousands of people from their homes, with some even escaping via boat.
More than 110,000 people have been evacuated from the French region of Gironde, with another 31,000 evacuated from the French region of Landes. 60,000 people have been evacuated from Spain’s central Avila region, located west of Madrid.
The number of evacuations is expected to rise.
The European Union has deployed hundreds of firefighters from countries including Croatia, Italy, Greece, and Sweden, but the wildfires remain out of control.
Carlos Novillo, who serves as the regional emergency management chief of Madrid, said the fire is at a critical moment.
“It is beyond our capability to extinguish, with the head of the fire exceeding containment capabilities as it advances,” he said. “In this zone, we cannot attack the fire. Efforts are focused on protecting population centers and reinforcing the right flank, which is greatest concern because of a shift in the wind expected today.”
Madrid’s Security and Energy Agency said its current focus is to protect those from harm.
”At this moment, the most important thing is to defend populations, attend to the evacuees, and seek the window of opportunity that the night gives us with the change of wind,” the agency stated.
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Weather conditions have made it difficult to control the wildfires in France, with authorities in Landes saying the fire remains out of control. Authorities said the region’s strong winds make containment efforts unfavorable, and added that the department has been placed under a yellow thunderstorm watch since 5 p.m.
Dozens of firefighters have been injured, but no deaths have been reported in either country. France has already marked 5,700 excess deaths during this year’s June heat wave.