France evacuates Cap Ferret peninsula as Spanish wildfires merge near Madrid – as it happened

Thousands of people have been forced to flee parts of south-west France amid worsening wildfires that prompted the authorities to order people to evacuate from the Cap Ferret peninsula along the Atlantic coast.

Evacuees have been told to leave the area before 10am, using hundreds of mobilised boats or the only road linking the area with the mainland.

More than 10,000 hectares are affected by the two concurrent wildfires, which last night crossed the firebreak established by firefighters.

The French authorities formally requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to tap into the bloc’s resources as they battle the fires, with Emmanuel Macron saying the situation remained “very intense.”

The EU’s crisis commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, confirmed that “following France’s activation of the EU’s civil protection mechanism, the EU is providing assistance and deploying 3 water bomber aircraft.”

Dangerous situation is also unfolding in Spain, with the Spanish government declaring a national emergency over wildfires near Madrid and Avila, forcing more than 10,000 people to evacuate.

It’s Friday, 24 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.