Wildfires in France and Spain displace over 250,000 as EU sends aircraft and France urges tourists not to cancel trips

Blazes overwhelm regions

Massive wildfires in south-west France and central Spain have forced more than 250,000 people to flee their homes by Saturday afternoon. The latest figures include 70,000 evacuated from central Spain and at least 141,000 from the Gironde and Landes departments in France, with additional orders covering western suburbs of Bordeaux. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters the fire was roughly 20 miles west of the city and warned that winds expected to shift from west to east on Saturday afternoon could drive it closer. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the Gironde blaze had become so intense it was generating its own winds.

Military and civilian response

France drafted hundreds of soldiers to dig trenches, spread retardant and assist civilian crews. Authorities rushed 1.5 million face masks to the region to protect against choking smoke. Lecornu posted on X that evacuation orders covering towns and villages between the fire and Bordeaux's outskirts "must be respected without delay".

Our priority is clear: protecting human lives.

Two firefighters have been killed and 42 more injured while tackling the 32 active blazes in France, minister for international partnerships Éléonore Caroit confirmed. Around 100 homes have been destroyed so far. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said 130,000 hectares of forest have burned already this year, compared with a ten-year annual average of 100,000 hectares.

Tourists caught in the crisis

Holidaymakers described desperate overnight escapes. Zac Morrison, a 21-year-old from London staying with his family on the pine-covered Cap Ferret peninsula, woke to two phone alerts at 4am and 6am ordering evacuation "by all means necessary". He told the BBC of driving just metres from six-storey-high flames. Others gathered on beaches carrying suitcases.

It's more than an incident, it really is a tragedy, nearly 50,000 hectares have been burned this year. It's significantly worse than last year and even 2022, which was the worst year we had had.

Despite the scale of the disaster, Caroit urged tourists not to cancel plans. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, she said most regions, including Paris, are unaffected and that visitors should stay informed. "You have entire areas that are fine," she said. "So do please come to France."

European solidarity activated

France activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Saturday. Caroit confirmed that Croatia is sending two water-bombing carriers, Portugal two water tractors, and the Czech Republic and Slovakia are each providing a Black Hawk helicopter. "Being part of the European Union today makes every possible sense," she said. "Solidarity is essential in the EU."

Climate wake-up call

Caroit framed the fires as a warning for world leaders. "The climate is changing, we're having a terrible impact on it. While leaders in the world continue to say climate change doesn't matter, we're seeing the concrete effects everywhere," she said. She added that France has invested millions in firefighting but acknowledged: "We're seeing it's not enough."