In brief
Wildfires in France and Spain are forcing residents to evacuate and are producing thick smokes that choke cities like Bordeaux. Witnesses report a wall of orange flames approaching their homes, while Spanish communities near Madrid and Castellón have been left in fear. Emergency responders are battling to contain the blazes that have scorched tens of thousands of hectares. The fires have also disrupted holiday plans, leaving many travellers cutting trips short or dealing with costly cancellations.
Residents of Bordeaux are living on the edge of a raging wildfire a few kilometres from the city’s outskirts. The thick smoke haze that has been blown across the city is choking the air, causing many to wear masks and struggle to breathe.
In the seaside resort of Biscarrosse Plage, a traveller offered her home to evacuees as the fire approached. She described the “stress and trauma” that locals felt as the flames rippled over the coast, while a family in Cotignac fled for four days only to return when the blaze was 10 metres from their back garden.
Across Spain’s Madrid region, the fire has scorched over 27,000 hectares and forced residents to flee villages in panic. Evacuees carried only what they could grab, leaving behind important documents and personal belongings. In the Castellón province, witnesses say the flames are unlike any they have seen on television, with mountains turning to ash.
The wildfires have also turned holiday destinations into smoke‑filled danger zones. A family returning from a Bordeaux holiday was forced to leave the town for northern France after smoke turned the air acrid. Meanwhile, a family from Hertfordshire had to cut their trip short, sealing rooms to contain the scent before their loved ones could travel to the region.
