Live updates: Spain and France wildfires; thousands evacuated as firefighters battle to control flames

Key Points:

• Wildfires are raging across parts of Spain and France, forcing over 250,000 people to evacuate, with major evacuations in the Madrid region and southwestern France, including Bordeaux and the Gironde region.
• Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and French authorities have mobilized extensive emergency resources, including military personnel and specialized aircraft like France’s A-400M cargo plane adapted to drop flame retardants.
• The wildfires are exacerbated by climate change-driven conditions: an unusually wet winter promoted vegetation growth followed by record heat and rapid drying, creating tinderbox landscapes prone to flash droughts and extensive fires.
• The crisis has impacted events such as the Tour de France, which shortened its final stage to reduce pressure on emergency services, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed deployment of EU crisis reserve aircraft and helicopters to assist firefighting efforts.
• French officials urged tourists not to cancel plans, emphasizing most of the country is unaffected, while highlighting the unprecedented scale of this year’s wildfires compared to previous years, linking the situation to global climate change effects.