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French Wildfires: Tourists Flee Six-Storey Flames
25 Jul
Summary
- Tourists described middle-of-the-night alerts and driving near towering flames.
- Over 220,000 people displaced by widespread fires in France and Spain.
- Flights to Bordeaux and Madrid remain operational despite nearby blazes.
Tranquil holidays in France and Spain have been shattered by wildfires, forcing tourists into desperate escapes.
Emergency alerts sounded in the dead of night, with many describing drives mere metres from flames described as being six storeys high. Over 220,000 people have been displaced across south-west France and central Spain due to the blazes, prompting military intervention.
Tourists in areas like Cap Ferret reported receiving multiple evacuation orders, forcing them to move multiple times and seek shelter on beaches. Some described ash falling like snow, and the acrid smell of smoke lingering far from affected zones.
Flights to cities such as Bordeaux and Madrid have not been impacted, and French officials have urged tourists not to cancel travel plans, emphasizing that most regions remain unaffected. However, authorities are battling to contain fires that have even shut down a NASA facility near Madrid.
