France orders evacuation of peninsula as hundreds flee wildfires by boat

Authorities in France have ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula (Lège‑Cap Ferret) in the country’s southwest, with hundreds of residents fleeing by boat. The tourism hotspot is being cleared as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire that has raged across the Gironde department for days. The blaze, which ignited on Tuesday in Saumos, spread overnight and has consumed 8,700 hectares (around 21,500 acres) of land. Meanwhile, Spanish authorities have declared a national emergency as wildfires rage out of control in several areas near Madrid. Two firefighters died on Tuesday while tackling the fire near Bordeaux’s airport. Officials said on Friday morning that no further injuries had been reported. French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday night that the wildfire situation in the country is "very tense," singling out the Gironde department in particular. Macron added that he had requested assistance from the European Union, noting that support would soon arrive in the form of aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The region’s prefect, Sophie Brocas, ordered the "final phase" of the evacuation early Friday morning. Residents are being told to leave via the main road toward Bordeaux, while boats are being made available for others between 07:00 and 10:00 local time (06:00 BST and 09:00 BST) from four piers. In Spain, firefighters are confronting wildfires in several locations not far from Madrid. Interior Minister Fernando Grande‑Marlaska declared a national emergency as fires burned at Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias in the Madrid region and at Burgohondo in Ávila.