Paris [France], July 26: Wildfires sweeping across Spain and France forced authorities on Saturday to evacuate around 260,000 people, particularly in areas surrounding the French city of Bordeaux and around Madrid, which is facing its worst wildfire on record.
Local authorities in Spain reported one fatality in a wildfire near Valencia in the country's east.
In France, around 200,000 people were forced to leave their homes or holiday accommodation. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the operation was likely the largest civilian evacuation carried out in the country during peacetime.
The French military was deployed to assist, with 1,500 troops mobilised from Saturday evening. An A400M military transport aircraft was also used for the first time in firefighting operations, capable of dropping 20,000 litres of water or fire retardant.
In Spain, the fires have burned up to 25,000 hectares west of Madrid. In the Madrid region, around 60,000 people have so far been evacuated, according to the latest figures announced by Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Source: Emirates News Agency