More than 220,000 people evacuated as large-scale forest fires break out in Spain and France

Massive wildfires continue to rage in Spain and France, forcing authorities to evacuate more than 220,000 people and impose emergency measures. Spain declared its first state of emergency due to the fires, while France has appealed to the European Union for help.

This is reported by Reuters and BBC .

In France, the situation is most difficult in the southwest of the country. Authorities have completely evacuated the Cap-Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, and the largest fire near Somos has already destroyed more than 12,500 hectares of forest and more than 80 houses.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the situation remained “extremely tense.”

“France has requested the activation of the European Union’s civil protection mechanism. We will soon be able to count on reinforcements in the form of two Croatian Canadair aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, as well as two Black Hawk heavy helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” Macron said.

In Spain, authorities declared a state of emergency for the first time due to large-scale fires. According to the country’s Ministry of the Interior, more than 60,000 people had been evacuated from the Madrid region and the province of Avila by the morning of July 25. In total, the number of evacuees in France and Spain exceeded 220,000 people.

The head of the regional emergency services, Carlos Novillo, said the fire near Madrid was “in full swing” and “exceeding the capabilities of the fire brigades.”

“It is impossible to fight the fire in this area, so defensive measures are being taken,” he said.

According to journalists, more than 2,000 rescuers and 10 aircraft have been deployed to combat the fires in Spain, but the spread of the fire has not yet been contained. The Madrid Space Communications Complex, which provides NASA with communications with spacecraft, has also been suspended due to the fires.

Madrid authorities have urged residents to stay indoors due to the significant deterioration in air quality. Particular caution was recommended for children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.

According to Reuters, forest fires in Europe have already destroyed more land this year than the average annual rate over the past two decades, driven by three almost continuous heat waves that have swept the continent since the beginning of the summer.

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