French President Emmanuel Macron convened an interministerial crisis meeting on 26 July as wildfires spread across southwest France, with flames advancing to within 15 kilometres of the city of Bordeaux.
The meeting brought together senior ministers and emergency officials to coordinate the national response as one of the country's worst wildfire emergencies in recent years continued to unfold.
More than 220,000 people have been evacuated across France, while thousands of firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft and crews from several European countries, are battling blazes driven by extreme heat, strong winds and exceptionally dry conditions.
The fires have torn through large parts of the Gironde region, including the Cap Ferret peninsula, and continue to threaten communities surrounding Bordeaux, the heart of France's renowned wine industry.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said there were no immediate plans to evacuate the city despite the fire reaching within 15 kilometres of its outskirts. Overnight, police went door to door in the nearby towns of Marcheprime and Cestas, helping residents leave their homes as the flames advanced.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said firefighters were facing an exceptionally difficult battle, warning that the blaze remained out of control.
"We have a fire that is not under control and which is moving in the direction of the city area," Nunez told the media network France 2. "The overall situation is very unfavourable. We are in a situation that is unprecedented."
Authorities warned that the coming days would remain critical, with forecasts pointing to continued hot, dry and windy weather.
The emergency extends beyond France. In Spain, more than 75,000 people have been evacuated, while another 30,000 have been told to remain indoors as multiple fires burn across the country.
The largest blaze, in the central province of Ávila, has burned more than 500 square kilometres, making it Spain's largest wildfire in recent history. As fires continue to rage across the region, aircraft and firefighting crews from several European countries have joined efforts to help France and Spain contain the blazes.
Read more:
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resum...
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildin...
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan remarked upon progress made towards normalising relations between...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are progressing and suggested an agreement with Iran could be reached “soon”.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 8th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump may have to accept concessions he previously opposed if he wants to secure a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts, as negotiators move closer to a temporary agreement.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
Serbia will continue to support Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity while seeking closer economic cooperation between the two countries, President Aleksandar Vučić said on Saturday, stopping short of pledging sanctions against Belgrade’s long-time ally Russia.
One year after its launch, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) has emerged as one of the most significant diplomatic and economic initiatives in the South Caucasus, linking peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan with expanding trade and regional connectivity.
A drone entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania on Saturday and exploded near the village of Kardam, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, adding that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.
Russian drone strikes killed a three-year-old boy and his grandparents in a village in the Kyiv region, while another person was killed in an overnight ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people, disrupting flights and leaving more than 50,000 buildings without power, as China shut ports and suspended transport services ahead of the storm’s expected arrival on its east coast.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment