Photos: Wildfires in France drive 250,000 people from their homes
Wildfires across southwest France have displaced over 250,000 people, with 55,000 additional evacuations ordered overnight as flames advance toward Bordeaux. A second fire in the Landes region has forced another 30,000 evacuations, while Spain has evacuated 70,000 people from fires west of Madrid.
Southwestern France faces an escalating wildfire crisis as uncontrolled blazes continue to spread across multiple regions. The Gironde region, home to the city of Bordeaux, has seen cumulative evacuations reach 220,000 residents, with authorities issuing fresh overnight evacuation orders for five additional localities southwest of the historic city. Wind gusts have accelerated the fire's spread since it began burning midweek, prompting officials to partially close a major highway departing Bordeaux toward the southwest. The city's mayor reported that the fire had advanced to approximately 15 kilometers from Bordeaux at its nearest point, describing the situation as still threatening the metropolitan area's perimeter.
The crisis extends beyond Bordeaux. A separate fire burning further south in the Landes region has forced 30,000 additional evacuations this week alone. Combined with the Gironde evacuations, the total number of people displaced by French wildfires exceeds 250,000. The situation mirrors broader Mediterranean fire activity, as neighboring Spain has also evacuated 70,000 residents this week due to fires burning west of Madrid.
The live signal stream across the Qatari market.