Spain has recorded its first wildfire death as the deadly blaze continues to rage across Europe. The man was found in a car in a ravine after dying in Manises, Valencia, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry.
Manises is located in north-west of Valencia, officials say they continue to work on site and several people have been treated by the emergency services for smoke inhalation and burns. The raging wildfires across both Spain and France have forced 270,000 people to flee as firefighters work to fight the blazes. The blazes have moved closer to major cities like Bordeaux and Madrid with the Spanish capital having declared a national emergency with the Prime Minister warning of “complex hours ahead”.
A major fire near Madrid is “beyond the capacity” of firefighters to contain, according to Spanish officials, after three fires west of the capital have merged.
Juan José Fernández Ortiz, Director of the Regional Wildfire Operations Centre in Spain, told Sky News, that it was “impossible” to fight the fires directly because “the fire intensity is so high”.
Meanwhile, nearly 60,000 people have been evacuated from towns in Bordeaux’s western suburbs overnight – the latest in a number of evacuations affecting the Gironde and Landes regions.
Evacuating the city of Bordeaux is a possibility, says Minister Laurent Nunez, France’s interior minister, as the fire is only 30km away from the port city.
He said all scenarios were under consideration, including evacuating the city of 260,000 residents and that the authorities would do everything to avoid such measures.
In a post on X Emmanuel Macron said that the “flames are severely testing our country”.
He said “the A400M is engaged in support of operations” and thanked “Romania, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia for their invaluable support”.
“This is Europe. In times of trial, it brings to life the solidarity that defines it.”
France’s military has mobilised 1,500 personnel alongside specialist equipment from other European countries including Germany, Croatia and Slovakia.
The A400M military plane has also embarked on its first firefighting mission in south-west France. The aircraft is capable to drop 20 tonnes of retardant or water and can reach vulnerable areas, the French interior ministry has said.