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Wildfires continue to burn out of control in France and Spain tonight with more than a quarter of a million people being ordered to leave their homes. Italy has also been very badly hit. Officials in Spain say one person has died in a separate fire near the city of Valencia in the east of the country and the authorities say a blaze near Madrid is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain. In southwest France, all of the Caperee Peninsula and nearby Leor have been evacuated. Tens of thousands have also left several areas near Bordeaux as flames approached the outer suburbs. Further down the coast
near the town of Biscaroth, another fire is out of control. Here's Joe Inwood. It's not hard to understand why these wildfires have spread. They are said to be the most severe Spain has ever faced. The first to be declared a national emergency. For days, firefighters have done their best to keep them from Madrid. Two fires merged. They could soon connect to another, presenting an unprecedented threat to Spain's capital. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, taking shelter with friends, family, or here at a government-run center.
It's a difficult time because you feel utterly powerless. You don't know what's going on, whether your house is on fire. You lose all your belongings, everything. And then, let's see who helps you. Nobody helps you. While wildfires are a naturally occurring phenomenon, there is nothing natural about the scale of these. An exceptionally wet winter led to high levels of plant growth, which was then dried out by the hottest start to the year on record. Humaninduced climate change to blame. It's a point repeatedly made by Spain's prime minister, who called for international action.
We should work on a state agreement against the climate emergency because science is telling us the temperatures are going to get more intense, are going to get worse, and are going to have a greater impact on our lives. The consequences are not only being felt in Spain. In France, the Girond region is also facing a crisis unlike anything it's seen before. Huge swaves of this popular tourist area being consumed by flames. Overnight, evacuation orders were sent to residents of villages to the west of Bordeaux, but some did not get the warning.
This was filmed by an American tourist, Rebecca Papin, in the town of Biscaros. She missed the alarm and is now trapped there with her children. So, they went to sleep. I put in earplugs and I went to sleep. And apparently during the night while I had in my earplugs, they evacuated the city. And when they came to my home, which I'm sure that they did, I didn't hear them. It is scary. And the thing is that the main roads are on fire, so I can't leave the city. All around me are thousands and thousands of acres of pine trees, and they're all on fire.
France has deployed military aircraft, but like Spain has also requested help from the EU. Seven water bombers have been sent, but the main hope they have is for a change in the weather. Next week is set to see extreme heat return. Joe Inwood, BBC News.
