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- October 13, 202618°
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- USD49.220.00%
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- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN82,230-1.72%
- October 13, 202618°
200,000 evacuated as wildfires rage in Spain and France
Approximately 200,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and holiday destinations as massive, uncontrollable wildfires rage across Spain and France. While the fire near Madrid has peaked, flames around Bordeaux remain out of control.
Massive, uncontrollable wildfires that erupted in Spain and France have forced the evacuation of approximately 200,000 people from their homes and holiday resorts.
Situation in Spain
In Spain, firefighters battling the ongoing blaze near Madrid on Saturday were struggling to gain control, while officials warned that erratic winds could further spread the flames. Carlos Novillo, chief of Madrid's regional emergency management, said the fire near the capital was 'at its peak and currently beyond the firefighters' control capacity.' Two separate fires merged on Friday into a massive blaze, which was dangerously close to merging with another fire in the neighboring Castilla y León region. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to attend an emergency planning meeting on Saturday morning in the village of Cenicientos, at the heart of the fire zone, and then address the press.
Evacuations in France
French officials evacuated thousands from suburbs on Saturday as the wildfires around Bordeaux showed no sign of abating. Sophie Brocas, president of the La Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde local government that covers the Bordeaux area, announced that the Le Haillan, Eysines, and Merignac neighborhoods were being evacuated. The Bordeaux region is famous for its vineyards, and the city serves as a major transport hub for tourists heading to holiday resorts on the Atlantic coast. Around 44,000 people fled from the luxury Cap Ferret peninsula south of Bordeaux, as the only road was threatened by the fire. Boats carried hundreds away from the flames, while others left the peninsula—known for its millionaire residences—by car. More than 50 homes burned in the area.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that more than 141,000 people have been evacuated so far from the Gironde and Landes regions, saying, 'The fires hitting our country have reached an unprecedented level.' As the French army was called in to help, Macron requested assistance from the European Union. According to French and Spanish officials, at least 141,000 people were evacuated in southwestern France and 25,000 in the Madrid region, including more than 1,200 elderly and disabled people.
Impact of Climate Change
The World Weather Attribution group stated in a study released this week that parts of Europe have experienced at least two heatwaves since May and that drought linked to human-induced climate change has increased the wildfire threat this year.
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