A man has died in a wildfire in Manises, near the Spanish city of Valencia, the country’s interior ministry has said. The man was found in a car in a ravine hundreds of kilometres away from the severe wildfires spreading near to the Spanish capital Madrid.
Wildfires in Europe have displaced about 280,000 people this week, including some 70,000 people evacuated in central Spain. Residents in western France have described the scenes as ‘totally apocalyptic’ after fires in the village of Saumos destroyed more than 100 homes.
Spanish officials said that winds in Spain are to pick up with gusts of up to 60 kph (38 mph) affecting the inferno, complicating the emergency mission to contain the crisis. On Saturday authorities ordered the evacuation of large parts of Bordeaux’s suburbs, including the areas of Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X on Saturday: ‘The fires which are hitting our country have reached a level that has never been seen before.’ Wildfires are also affecting parts of Scotland with a major incident declared in Cairngorms National Park.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden has praised the ‘firefighters bravely battling the flames’ and shared her thoughts with those who have been evacuated in France and Spain. In a post on X she said five aircraft and two helicopters from the rescue fleet have been deployed to France and four aircraft will be arriving in Spain.
‘Europe stands alongside France and Spain in the face of the devastating wildfires striking them,’ she wrote. A British restaurant owner in Bordeaux said the city is ‘full of smoke and ash’ and residents are wearing masks if they go outside.
Reality TV star Georgia Toffolo has revealed she narrowly escaped the French wildfires with her husband, Brewdog co-founder James Watt. The 31-year-old said she was on holiday with family in Cap Ferret last week and left the place she was staying earlier than planned as she could smell the fires.
The UK government is advising citizens in Spain to avoid travelling through affected areas of Madrid and Avila, while those in France are being told to follow the advice of local authorities. Prospective holidaymakers are advised to check with their accommodation or travel provider before making the journey.
A French foreign minister has urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans despite unprecedented wildfires in the country’s south west. Éléonore Caroit, the minister for international partnerships, said that although France was facing an ‘exceptionally intense’ fire season, tourists should visit as long as they remain well-informed.
