Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in south-west France as strong winds push flames towards the city of Bordeaux, with one official saying they “are far from having the fire under control.”
More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents.
In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there are “complex times ahead”. Meanwhile, authorities in València confirmed the death of a man in a fire.
The man, believed to be in his 70s, was found dead in his car by firefighters as they extinguished a fire in the Salt de l’Aigua ravine in Manises, according to local media reports.
In France, around 200,000 people have been evacuated in south-western regions of Gironde and Landes regions.
France has mobilised its military to help with the response and extra reinforcements from the army have been sent to help firefighters by clearing brush and creating fire breaks.