More than 160,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and holiday resorts as fast-moving wildfires continue to tear through parts of France and Spain, threatening communities near Bordeaux and the outskirts of Madrid.
In southwestern France, authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 141,000 residents and tourists from the Gironde department as flames spread rapidly across the region.
President Emmanuel Macron has deployed 1,000 military personnel to reinforce firefighting efforts amid growing concerns that local emergency services are overstretched.
In neighbouring Spain, about 25,000 people were told to evacuate communities west of Madrid after two large wildfires merged into a single blaze that firefighters have so far been unable to contain.
Thousands of displaced residents and holidaymakers have sought refuge in temporary shelters established in schools, sports halls and aircraft hangars. In France, hundreds of people also escaped the Cap Ferret peninsula by boat as the fires advanced.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to the affected region to oversee emergency response efforts, with strong winds and extremely dry conditions continuing to fuel the flames and hamper firefighting operations.
As the crisis deepened and dozens of firefighters were injured battling the blazes, both France and Spain formally requested emergency assistance from the European Union to help contain the fires.
Authorities in both countries remain on high alert as emergency crews continue working to prevent the wildfires from spreading to more populated areas.
