Europe wildfires latest: Bordeaux suburbs evacuated as France sends in army while winds in Spain could worsen blaze

Europe wildfires latest: Bordeaux suburbs evacuated as France sends in army while winds in Spain could worsen blaze Officials have described it as the ‘worst fire in the history of the region’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Over 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as massive wildfires continue to rage across southwestern France and central Spain. On Saturday officials ordered the evacuation of large parts of Bordeaux’s suburbs, including the areas of Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac. Bordeaux is the largest city in the southwestern region and France’s sixth-largest city overall. “The fires which are hitting our country have reached a level that has never been seen before,” French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X on Saturday. The French army has also been drafted in to help with the crisis as the blaze showed no signs of slowing down. Spanish and French officials warned that winds were likely to exacerbate the fires. Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso said that it marked the “worst fire in the history of the region” and that conditions had been made worse by a combination of high temperatures, wind and the merging of blazes. The city’s emergency management chief Carlos Novillo told reporters earlier Friday that the fire was “at its peak and... currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain”. Watch: Homes go up in flames as wildfires tear through Spain Raining ash and a tower of black smoke: Families flee ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires on the road out of Lège-Cap Ferret riving away from her home in the wealthy resort town of Lège-Cap Ferret, Marion Girault-Rime was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. She was left speechless as cinders blew across her car windscreen like “raining ash”, with bright-red flames erupting and a towering pillar of black smoke billowing 20km in the distance. The scene was “frightening and spectacular”, she says. “I still stink of smoke,” the 53-year-old marketing business owner tells The Independent from her friend’s home in Bordeaux. “My car stinks of smoke. I don’t think I will ever get the smell out.” Marion, like her neighbours, was awoken at around 4am on Friday morning by an emergency alert on her phone that instructed every citizen in the town to evacuate immediately. Raining ash and a tower of black smoke: Families flee ‘apocalyptic’ France wildfires Watch: Horses run from thick smoke as wildfires spread in southern France UK travel advice for those affected by fires in Spain The government website provides the following advice for those affected by wildfires in Madrid and Avila in Spain: “Spanish authorities have declared a national emergency because of wildfires in parts of Madrid and Ávila. There are also reports of wildfires in other inland areas of Spain. “If you are in an area affected by a wildfire: - follow instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times - avoid travelling to or through affected areas - check updates from the emergency services - call 112 if you need emergency help.” The government website provides further information here. In pictures: Thousands forced to evacuate their homes 1.5 million masks to be delivered to Gironde Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said that over 1.5 million masks would be delivered to Gironde in France on Friday. In a post on X, he wrote: “1.5 million FFP2 masks will be delivered to Gironde tonight to protect personnel on the ground and populations exposed to harmful smoke.” Winds will worsen fires, say French and Spanish officials Spanish and French officials have warned that strong winds on Saturday are likely to exacerbate the fires. Government official Francisco Martin, told reporters that emergency efforts on Saturday would be “difficult” as "the wind is expected to rise in the morning, with rather erratic gusts" in comments on Friday. Landes prefect Gilles Clavreul said the fire would not be extinguished by the end of Friday due to winds reaching 50km/h (31mph) and high temperatures of 36-37C. French army deployed to assist with crisis French president Emmanuel Macron has ordered the country’s army to help with the wildfires raging across the country after barely recovering from a record-breaking heatwave. At least 500 military personnel were deployed on the ground on Friday, with hundreds more expected to join on Saturday to bring the total to more than 1,000. Mapped: What areas are affected by the wildfires? In pictures: Wildfires spread across France and Spain amid high temperatures and winds Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments