Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has warned that Spain and the wider Iberian peninsula are suffering the effects of the climate emergency, as firefighters continue to battle huge wildfires in both Spain and France. The blazes, which have forced an estimated 375,000 people from their homes across the two countries, come as forecasters predict another heatwave could hit France from Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40C in some areas.
In southwestern France, authorities are struggling to contain a massive wildfire near Bordeaux in the Gironde region. The fire has already consumed an area four times the size of Paris and led to the evacuation of nearly 220,000 people. Windy conditions over the weekend hampered firefighting efforts, and the blaze has been described as 'extremely virulent and unpredictable' by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
On Monday, local officials said the situation in Gironde remained 'broadly stable overnight' with no major developments, but urged tourists not to visit the area until the fire is contained. French President Emmanuel Macron was expected to hold a crisis cabinet meeting to discuss the emergency. Meanwhile, in Spain, major fires west of Madrid were being brought under control, though Sánchez described the situation as 'difficult hours'.
The Gironde fire has injured 84 firefighters, ten of whom have been evacuated. A spokesman for the National Firefighters Federation of France said the blaze had formed a pyrocumulonimbus – a fire-generated thunderstorm that creates its own wind – a phenomenon never before seen in France. 'It's a David vs Goliath scenario,' said Lieutenant Colonel Éric Brocardi, adding that firefighters must find a weak point to strike.
Police in Gironde have made three arrests over the weekend: one man for smoking in the forest and two for holding a barbecue in a forested area. In Spain, a senior officer with the military emergencies unit said the main fire areas near Madrid had been contained and were cooling down.
