Spain and France brace for new heatwaves as wildfire closes in on Bordeaux
SkimNews Take
Macron's "worst since WWII" benchmark reveals how quickly recent fire seasons have outpaced the post-war baseline that has long anchored European emergency planning.
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- France has evacuated 220,000 people as President Emmanuel Macron declared the Gironde blazes "completely unprecedented" — "the toughest since World War Two" — with 116,085 hectares burned and 13,566 fire starts recorded since January.
- Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the city is preparing for "all eventualities" after a wildfire crept to within 15km of the city, with France's Gironde and Landes regions now under yellow alert for a heatwave expected to peak Wednesday.
- Cestas Mayor Jérôme Steffe told the BBC 17,000 residents were evacuated overnight, calling the blaze "the fire of the century" after 42,000 hectares and 240 houses were destroyed in the region; he said crews have "won only a small battle" and remain on alert for shifting winds.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu revealed that 9 in 10 French fires are human-caused — mostly from carelessness like cigarette butts or barbecues — and that 162 arrests have been made since 6 July for deliberate fire-setting.
- Spain entered day five of a national emergency as wildfires west of Madrid burned more than 27,000 hectares and forced over 100,000 evacuations, with local officials warning the region faces the "worst fires in its history."
- Spain's national weather service forecasts severe heat lasting "at least" until Sunday and warns of "extreme" fire risks, after separate blazes in Almorox, Villa del Prado, and San Martín de Valdeiglesias merged into one large fire per BBC Verify satellite imagery.
Why it matters: Macron's framing — "the toughest wildfire since World War Two" — is an extraordinary comparison for an industrialized European nation, and the threat is closing in on Bordeaux. With 116,085 hectares already burned in France and temperatures set to climb again, the Gironde fire remains a moving target only 15km from a major city while Spain fights a parallel record-breaking blaze.
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