Photos show scale of devastation caused by unprecedented wildfires in France and Spain

Photos from on the ground show the scale of the devastation as massive wildfires devastate southwestern France and central Spain. More than 200,000 people have been evacuated, including residents of large areas of Bordeaux, such as Le Haillan, Eysines, and Merignac. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that the fires had “reached a level that has never been seen before”.

The French army has been deployed to assist, while officials from both Spain and France warn that strong winds are expected to worsen the fires.Spain’s government, meanwhile, has declared a national emergency, as huge fires near the capital, Madrid, and the nearby province of Ávila forced the evacuations of 25,000 people. open image in galleryFirefighters battle a blaze near El Escorial, 60 km northwest of Madrid (AFP/Getty)Dozens of firefighters have been injured, authorities said, but no deaths were reported in either France or Spain.

Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso said that it marked the “worst fire in the history of the region” and that conditions had been made worse by a combination of high temperatures, wind and the merging of fires.The city’s emergency management chief Carlos Novillo said on Friday that the fire was “at its peak and... currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain”.

open image in galleryMembers of the Kiat Yack Martial Arts Academy of Spanish, Moroccan, Colombian and Romanian origin move to help extinguish flames around the academy in the village of El Tiemblo (Reuters)Francisco Martín, the central government representative for the region of Madrid, said that 20,000 people had been ordered to shelter at home in towns west of the capital.Mr Martín said more evacuations could be coming and that the priority now was to protect the town of San Lorenzo, the home of the Escorial, Philip II's 16th-century royal palace and monastery.Both Spain and France have triggered an EU emergency mechanism that allows for cooperation between member states when disasters occur.

open image in galleryThe burnt landscape amid a wildfire in Fresnedillas area, near El Escorial (AFP/Getty)The EU has sent planes and helicopters to both countries to help fight the fires, EU Commissioner for crisis management Hadja Lahbib told the BBC on Saturday.An expert had been sent to France to help coordinate firefighting efforts on the ground, while the EU had also activated satellites, she said.The disaster has been made particularly challenging due to the fact that the fires are happening “simultaneously” and in areas with “lots of tourists”, Ms Lahbib told the BBC.

open image in galleryWildfires advance near Le Proge region, western France (AP)open image in galleryA seaplane drops water onto a wildfire near La Adrada, Ávila province (AP)open image in galleryA fire truck in a burnt landscape near El Escorial (AFP/Getty)open image in galleryA firefighter sprays water in a burning forest in the Lège-Cap-Ferret region, western France (AP)open image in galleryLarge areas of the countryside near El Escorial have burnt (AFP/Getty)open image in galleryFirefighters worked through the night in Fresnedillas, Spain (AFP/Getty)open image in gallerySmoke emanating from the wildfire north of the Arcachon basin, near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France (AFP/Getty)open image in galleryErratic winds threaten to fan the flames further (AFP/Getty)open image in galleryA water bomber drops water while fighting wildfires in Ares, western France (AP)open image in galleryFirefighters work in the smoke in Lanton, in France's Lege-Cap-Ferret region (AP)open image in galleryFirefighters battle a wildfire in Spain's Zarzalejo area (AFP/Getty)open image in gallerySmoke is seen billowing from the French fires (AFP/Getty)open image in galleryResidents watch the flames on hill crests as firefighters battle a wildfire in Cebreros area, near Avila (AFP/Getty)Join our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments