Wildfires near Madrid and in southwestern France force over 80,000 to evacuate

Spain’s government declares a national emergency after wildfires force the evacuation of some 20,000 people from villages near Madrid, while in southern France more than 60,000 residents flee their homes, including by boat, to escape two major blazes.

“We are experiencing a dramatic situation, not just in several Spanish regions but also in neighboring countries,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez writes on X.

“My solidarity with all the people who have been affected and been forced to leave their homes.”

Authorities in southwestern France order more mass evacuations along the Atlantic coast because of the large wildfires. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez says 40,000 people have been evacuated in the Gironde department, and 23,000 in the Landes.

Spain and France both ask fellow European Union members for help.

Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.