Live: France orders evacuations near Bordeaux as wildfires sweep through southwest
Live
Live: France orders evacuations near Bordeaux as wildfires sweep through southwest
Europe
French authorities ordered the evacuation of towns near the southwestern city of Bordeaux on Saturday “as a precaution”, as wildfires moved towards the area. Intense wildfires have forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes in southwestern France and central Spain. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.
Yesterday’s key developments:
- French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the military to mobilise as wildfires ripped through France‘s southwest, threatening villages and approaching the city of Bordeaux.
- The Spanish government declared a “national emergency” in the Madrid region and in the province of Avila, near the capital.
- Some 110,000 people were evacuated from areas threatened by wildfires in France’s southwest that have scorched 14,000 hectares.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)