More than 230,000 residents have been evacuated due to devastating wildfires sweeping through France and Spain.
According to Yonhap News and the French daily Le Figaro, a wildfire that began in southwestern France on July 22 has spread, burning over 22,000 hectares—an area twice the size of Paris—and destroying 100 buildings.
While there have been no reported casualties, 141,000 people had evacuated from the region as of the previous day.
Local authorities issued additional evacuation orders early on July 25 for seven municipalities near Bordeaux as the fire, which started on the western coast, continued to move eastward fueled by strong winds.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency meeting with government officials the night before and stated on X (formerly Twitter), "The government is mobilizing all necessary resources." He noted that over 500 military personnel have already been deployed, with an additional 15 units expected to join on July 25, bringing the total to more than 1,000 military personnel supporting firefighters.
Lecornu also announced that 1.5 million FFP2 masks would be delivered to protect personnel and residents from harmful smoke exposure.
He urged citizens heading out for summer vacations to clear the roads for rescue teams, advising them to avoid areas affected by the wildfires and to consider rerouting or postponing their trips.
In Spain, wildfires near the capital, Madrid, are still raging, forcing approximately 25,000 people to evacuate. Spanish authorities have issued evacuation orders for about 40,000 residents.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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