French authorities have ordered the full evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination on the country’s south-west coast, as raging wildfires continue to spread across the Gironde region. Hundreds of residents and holidaymakers have already been evacuated by boat, while thousands more are leaving the area by road.
The devastating fires, which broke out on Tuesday in Saumos, have continued to burn through the Gironde region, destroying about 8,700 hectares (approximately 21,500 acres) of land despite ongoing firefighting efforts.
At the same time, Spain has declared a national emergency as multiple wildfires continue to burn uncontrollably in areas near Madrid.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as a “dramatic situation” and urged residents to exercise extreme caution. Several major fires are currently burning west of Madrid, including those at Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said about 40,000 people had either been evacuated or were in the process of leaving the Cap Ferret peninsula, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Bay of Arcachon on the other.
“A total of 80 homes have burnt, around 50 of which have been completely destroyed,” he told reporters.
Authorities also expanded evacuations to neighbouring communities. The mayor of Arès, located south-east of Lège-Cap Ferret, confirmed that residents there were also being evacuated, while a local councillor revealed that about 2,000 evacuees from the peninsula had already arrived by boat at the port of Arcachon.
Further south along France’s Atlantic coast, another major wildfire near Biscarrosse in the Landes region forced more than 23,000 people to leave their homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.
Officials said approximately 18,000 people were evacuated from Biscarrosse, while another 5,000 residents left Parentis-en-Born as the fire spread rapidly.
Although no additional casualties were reported overnight, the wildfires have already claimed the lives of two firefighters who died on Tuesday while battling a blaze near Bordeaux Airport.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the wildfire situation as “very tense”, particularly in the Gironde region, and announced that France had requested emergency assistance from the European Union.
According to Macron, firefighting aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are expected to arrive to support French emergency services.
Gironde Prefect Sophie Brocas announced the “final phase” of the Cap Ferret evacuation early Friday, urging people to leave using the D106 road towards Bordeaux, the peninsula’s only land exit.
Authorities also arranged boat evacuations between 07:00 and 10:00 local time from four designated piers to help move people to safety.
The Cap Ferret peninsula normally has a permanent population of fewer than 8,000 residents, but that figure can increase to nearly 80,000 during the peak holiday season.
Around 20,000 people had already been evacuated from campsites and surrounding communities on Thursday, with additional evacuations carried out overnight in La Porge.
Brocas said the evacuations had taken place “calmly” and assured residents that security personnel would patrol evacuated neighbourhoods to prevent vandalism.
Emergency crews remain deployed across the region, with additional ground teams and aerial resources expected to reinforce firefighting operations in the coming hours.
Authorities have also warned the public to stay away from affected areas until the fires are brought under control.
In Spain, emergency services continue battling several large wildfires near Madrid after Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared a national emergency covering fires at Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo in Ávila.
Sánchez said forest fires were “ravaging thousands of hectares” across the country and affecting multiple communities.
“The government has deployed all available resources. It will stand by your side during the emergency and in the recovery.”
Local emergency officials said more than 10,000 people had been evacuated as firefighters continued efforts to contain the blazes.
Authorities described both major fires as “out of control”, although they noted that their spread had been “limited” in recent hours.
Several communities, including Aldea del Fresno, have been evacuated as emergency operations continue.
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