More than 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as devastating wildfires swept through southwestern France and central Spain, prompting mass evacuations and stretching emergency response efforts.

Authorities said approximately 141,000 residents were evacuated from the Gironde and Landes regions of southwestern France, while more than 60,000 people were displaced in central Spain as fast-moving fires spread through forests and nearby communities.

The blazes, intensified by soaring temperatures and prolonged dry conditions linked to climate change, overwhelmed firefighters in both countries. Spanish emergency officials said the flames were spreading so rapidly that direct firefighting operations had become impossible in some areas.

In France, several residents escaped by boat after wildfires engulfed parts of the Atlantic coast, including popular tourist destinations.

Despite dozens of injuries among emergency responders, authorities confirmed that no fatalities had been recorded in either country. Residents fled in vehicles as police conducted door-to-door evacuations while thick smoke blanketed affected communities.

France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, said the wildfire in southwestern France had consumed about 140 square kilometres of land and was advancing toward the city of Bordeaux.

“We learned in the middle of the afternoon that, following the wind shift, it had become a large, self-sustaining fire that is extremely difficult to bring under control,” Nunez said. “It is now moving east toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area. We are reorganising our response to prevent it from advancing further.”

French President Emmanuel Macron directed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to activate the government’s national crisis response unit and ordered the armed forces to provide maximum support to civilian emergency services battling the fires.

Describing the situation as unprecedented, the Prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Sophie Brocas, said significant national reinforcements had been deployed to contain the blaze.

“This fire, which we have been fighting for three days in Gironde, has reached an unprecedented scale,” Brocas said.

The wildfire reportedly started on Wednesday near the Cap Ferret Peninsula, about 60 kilometres from Bordeaux, before rapidly spreading across surrounding areas.

Local authorities said the fire destroyed 53 homes and a campsite, while 42 firefighters sustained injuries during rescue and containment operations.

Around 1,500 evacuees were transported by sea to the city of Arcachon using water taxis and larger vessels after roads became inaccessible.

Residents described the unfolding disaster as unlike anything they had previously experienced.

“It’s quite impressive and even frightening,” said Laurent Moretti, a resident of Arès. “An evacuation on this scale has never happened before. All we can hope is that the firefighters bring it under control quickly.”

Authorities in both France and Spain continue to battle the fires as extreme weather conditions hamper containment efforts and force thousands more residents to remain on evacuation alert.