The wildfire raging across France has reached within nine miles of the city of Bordeaux. French President Emmanuel Macron has called an emergency cabinet meeting as officials warn that the next 24 hours will be critical in the battle to save the city.
No evacuation order has yet been issued for Bordeaux. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation as 'very unfavourable', warning that the fire is moving unpredictably towards the city.
Fire generates its own weather
Fire crews have reported that a giant thunderstorm, known as the rare 'pyrocumulonimbus', has been generated by the fire itself, producing its own winds and lightning. Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France's National Firefighters Federation, said crews were facing an almost impossible task. 'It's a David-versus-Goliath scenario,' he said.
More than 220,000 people have already been evacuated from south-west France, while around 42,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in one of the country's largest wildfires since the Second World War.
Blazes also hit Spain
The crisis is also unfolding across Spain, where thousands more people have fled advancing flames near Valencia, Madrid and Ávila. More than 330,000 people have now been evacuated across France and Spain.
Despite the devastation, French minister Éléonore Caroit urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans. 'It's more than an incident, it really is a tragedy, nearly 50,000 hectares have been burned this year. It's significantly worse than last year and even 2022, which was the worst year we had had,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'You have entire areas that are fine … do please come to France and do not cancel your travel plans.'
British nationals affected
Lance Attwood, a British restaurant owner in Bordeaux, said the city is 'full of smoke and ash'. He added: 'Our biggest concern is people's safety and the safety of the emergency services.' Edward Chisholm, a 38-year-old UK tourist in Cap Ferret, told The Telegraph: 'It was quite an apocalyptic scene – the sky was a burnt colour, and there was ash falling continuously.'
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'My thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Europe. I am in touch with my French and Spanish counterparts about the situation. British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities.'
