Key facts
- Tourists in southwest France described harrowing escapes from raging wildfires.
- Over 220,000 people have been displaced in France and Spain.
- The French military has been deployed to assist with evacuations.
- Spanish authorities declared a national emergency due to the fires.
- Some tourists reported seeing flames as high as six storeys.
- Flights to nearby cities like Bordeaux and Madrid are not currently affected.
Holidaymakers in southwest France have recounted harrowing experiences escaping raging wildfires, with some forced to flee their accommodations in the middle of the night amidst towering flames.
Tourists described receiving emergency text alerts and driving just metres from "six-storey high" fires, while others saw people gathering on beaches with their suitcases. The massive forest fires in southwest France and central Spain have led to the displacement of over 220,000 people, prompting the deployment of the French military and the declaration of a national emergency in Spain.
Zac Morrison, a tourist from London holidaying in Cap Ferret, described waking up to evacuation orders at 4 am and 6 am, detailing a "movie-like" experience where he and his family had to leave everything behind. He noted the operation was "well organised" despite the initial panic, and that his family had received multiple evacuation alerts, moving from one fire only to be threatened by another. They found shelter on a beach in Arcachon.
David Morton, also on holiday in Cap Ferret, recounted being woken by phone alerts on Friday morning and having to evacuate within 15 minutes, driving within 500 metres of flames higher than pine trees. His family has since stayed with friends before their flight home.
Rebecca Papin, visiting her holiday home in Biscarrosse, witnessed a "wall of flames" and noted that authorities appeared overwhelmed, issuing no evacuation order for her area. She slept through the night, only realising the city had been evacuated when she woke up to find herself almost alone, with police having advised her to stay indoors due to ash falling like snow.
Despite the widespread fires, flights to Bordeaux and Madrid are not affected, and France's minister for international partnerships, Éléonore Caroit, urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans, stating that many regions remain unaffected. However, she advised visitors to remain aware of local conditions.
In Spain, fires near Madrid have forced the closure of a NASA facility, with the regional president describing it as the "worst fire in the history of the region" due to a "perfect storm" of high temperatures, wind, and merging fire fronts.