Due to Fires, 300,000 People Have Left Their Homes in France and Spain, No Evacuation of Bordeaux for Now

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the southwestern French region of Gironde near Bordeaux, but for now there are no plans to evacuate the city itself, officials said.

Firefighters are battling major blazes in France and Spain, and more than 300,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas in both countries. It is estimated that about 220,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Gironde region in southwestern France, while around 105,000 people have left their homes in Spain, according to the BBC.

The Gironde prefecture in France announced this morning that the fire situation remained largely stable overnight.

The mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, said yesterday that there are no plans to evacuate the residents of Bordeaux, which has a population of about 850,000.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said yesterday that the situation remains very unfavorable and that the fire is moving unpredictably toward the city.

Traffic has been suspended on the highway south of Bordeaux toward Spain, and trains are not running outside the city to the south and west, while the prefect of the Gironde region has called on tourists not to come to the area.

According to the BBC, it is moderately encouraging that the fire near Bordeaux did not worsen overnight, winds have subsided, and there was even a little rain, which is why authorities reported this morning that the situation is largely stable. But the bad news is that temperatures will rise again, and up to 40 degrees Celsius is expected tomorrow.

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting on the matter today.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Valencia today, which has been affected by the fires. About 15,000 people have been forced to leave this eastern coastal city, and more than 90,000 people have fled from the areas around Madrid and Ávila.

The central government’s envoy for Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, said that the fire was very intense and that a worsening of weather conditions is expected.

In the regions of Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo, it is estimated that about 77,000 hectares have been affected by the fires, Minister for Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen said yesterday.