PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will chair an emergency cabinet meeting today as wildfires continue to spread towards the south-western city of Bordeaux, while another heatwave threatens to worsen conditions.
The blaze is about 15 kilometres from Bordeaux, home to around 850,000 people, although local authorities said there were no immediate plans to evacuate the city.
Tens of thousands of residents have already fled surrounding areas as firefighters battle rapidly shifting flames.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation as “very unfavourable”, warning that the fire was advancing unpredictably towards the city.
France has recorded one of its worst wildfire seasons in decades, with around 42,000 hectares destroyed in the Gironde region and nearly 98,000 hectares burned nationwide since the beginning of the year.
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Fire officials said the Gironde blaze had generated a rare “pyrocumulonimbus” fire thunderstorm, creating its own winds and lightning, making it extremely difficult to contain.
Firefighters warned that either several days of heavy rainfall or favourable natural barriers would be needed to bring the blaze under control.
Weather forecasts indicate temperatures could climb to 40°C in parts of France from Tuesday, raising fears that firefighting efforts will become even more challenging.
Wildfires have also swept across Spain, forcing about 90,000 people to evacuate areas around Madrid and Ávila, while another 15,000 residents fled a new blaze near Valencia. Spanish authorities warned that difficult conditions were expected to continue as firefighters worked to contain multiple active fires.
