France Spain wildfires evacuations top 300,000 as fires spread
Wildfires in France and Spain have driven more than 300,000 people from homes, with one death reported in Valencia, officials said.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
France Spain wildfires evacuations have climbed above 300,000 people as major fires burn across southwestern France and central Spain, officials said. The emergency has stretched firefighting forces, disrupted the Tour de France and prompted Spain to declare a national emergency for affected areas.
In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 50,000 people were moved from their homes overnight into Sunday, bringing the country’s total evacuations to more than 250,000. President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the most severe fires were in the southwest, including the Gironde and Landes regions.
The Gironde fire, near Bordeaux, remained uncontained Sunday morning, Nuñez said. He said 2,500 firefighters were assigned to the fire, with similar numbers of military personnel and police helping evacuations.
How many people have evacuated in France and Spain?
More than 250,000 people have been evacuated in France, according to Nuñez. In Spain, the Interior Ministry said Sunday that about 60,000 people had been evacuated from a fire near Madrid, taking the combined total for the two countries above 300,000.
Spanish officials said at least one person from Manises, a town in Valencia, has died in the fires. The reported death came as Spain faced several large blazes, including fires affecting the Madrid region and Ávila province northwest of the capital.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said more than 29,000 people had been evacuated in the Madrid area, while more than 20,000 were confined. In Ávila province, the ministry said more than 25,000 people had been evacuated and more than 8,000 were confined.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared a national state of emergency because of the wildfires in the Community of Madrid and Ávila. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a video posted Saturday that the government was working to provide shelter for people affected by the fires.
Where are the worst fires burning?
French officials pointed to the Gironde and Landes areas in the southwest, with the Gironde fire still active near the Bordeaux tourist region. In Spain, officials described major fire impacts near Madrid and in Ávila, while local officials in Manises reported the death of a resident from their town.
The fires are adding to an unusually severe fire year in both countries, according to officials. Nuñez said Saturday that more than 242,000 acres had burned in France this year, a historic record, Politico Europe reported.
In Spain, Sánchez said fires had burned more than 300,000 acres so far this year. He said that was above the country’s annual average of 250,000 acres over the past decade.
The fires also forced changes to the Tour de France, which was scheduled to finish Sunday. Race organizers said the final stage route was shortened because security and police assigned to the event had been redirected to help with the fires.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.