European wildfires force more than 250K evacuations across Spain, France
Fast-moving wildfires are tearing through parts of Spain and France, prompting evacuations for more than 250,000 residents as emergency crews race to contain the flames. In France, one major fire is menacing the world-famous Bordeaux wine region, while Spain has declared a national emergency. French authorities have brought in the military, and the Tour de France has been cut short as firefighters confront the expanding infernos.
In southwestern France, large-scale wildfires are now posing a threat to critical defense and nuclear-linked sites near Bordeaux, with reports of evacuations and emergency protocols at missile production facilities, military research centers and aerospace plants.
The crisis is intensifying as France prepares for its fourth major heat wave of the year on Tuesday. Reuters reported that extreme heat and bone-dry conditions are adding to the strain on fire crews battling the massive blazes around Bordeaux.
Forecasts for the affected French region called for temperatures to climb to 91 degrees Fahrenheit, or 33 degrees Celsius — roughly 13 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7 degrees Celsius, above the seasonal average, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
Wildfires spreading across southwestern France are endangering several of the nation’s most sensitive defense and nuclear-related facilities. (JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty)
“The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War,” President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday after traveling to the affected area.
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure said the fires have affected more than 13,000 businesses across the Gironde region, forcing many companies to shut down operations or evacuate their premises.
The Telegraph reported that the flames are advancing toward missile and rocket manufacturing sites where explosive materials are stored, heightening concerns over the potential risks.
At least seven sites holding hazardous substances are within 12 miles of the blaze.
France’s Defense Ministry also said 1,500 military personnel have been deployed since July 25 to support firefighting operations and help secure strategic industrial sites. ((AP Photo/Baz Ratner, Pool))
Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, to the west-northwest, is one of the evacuated towns and is home to a large factory that produces propellants for Ariane space rockets and France’s strategic missiles.
A nearby plant in Sainte-Hélène also produces ammonium perchlorate, a key oxidizer used in solid rocket propellants.
According to Defense News, the fires are also threatening factories that make key parts for France’s nuclear missiles, Rafale fighter jets and military missiles.
ArianeGroup evacuated employees from sites in the fire zone, while France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) closed its military research center in Le Barp as the wildfires first advanced toward Bordeaux.
Officials said there is no risk of radioactive leakage because the facility contains no nuclear materials, the outlet reported.
France and Spain battle one of Europe’s worst wildfire seasons in decades, roughly 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate in recent days, while nearly 100,000 hectares have burned. (Associated Press)
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said July 24 that protective measures had been deployed around the sites “given the nature of the products stored there,” Le Monde said.
Meanwhile, France’s Defense Ministry said 1,500 military personnel have been deployed since Friday to support firefighting operations and help secure strategic industrial sites.
So far, the fires have scorched more than 104,000 acres (42,000 hectares) in the Gironde region, making them among France’s largest wildfires on record.
Authorities said about 240 homes have been destroyed, while nearly 4,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from campsites, holiday villages and tourist resorts in Lacanau, about 35 miles west of Bordeaux.
As France and Spain battle one of Europe’s worst wildfire seasons in decades, roughly 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate in recent days.
