Live updates: Spain and France battle raging wildfires as at least 250,000 people forced to flee - CNN

What the report says

CNN reported that wildfires across southwestern Europe have forced more than 250,000 people to leave homes, resorts or threatened areas in France and Spain, with at least one death confirmed in Valencia, Spain. The fires have spread during severe heat, drought and shifting winds, sending smoke into communities and disrupting daily life, including parts of the Tour de France.

In Spain, local media cited by CNN said crews were trying to stop two major fires west of Madrid, in Ávila and the Madrid region, from joining together. RTVE reported that nearly 45,000 hectares had burned and about 90,000 people had been ordered to evacuate or shelter. Spain’s government deployed thousands of personnel, hundreds of vehicles and aircraft, with support from Greece, Italy and Portugal. In Manises, near Valencia, local authorities said a fast-moving fire killed one person and prompted two days of official mourning.

In France, authorities ordered further evacuations late Saturday in Gironde, directing residents of several towns toward Bordeaux. CNN reported that about 200,000 people had been displaced in Gironde and neighboring Landes, with roughly 7,000 sheltering at a Bordeaux exhibition center. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned that changing conditions could make the next phase difficult, saying around 30 fires were burning in France and nearly 100,000 hectares had already been scorched.

The fires matter because they are straining emergency systems across multiple countries at once. CNN noted additional fires in Italy, the UK and elsewhere in Europe, while linking the broader fire risk to heat waves intensified by climate change.