00:00A devastating wave of massive wildfires has forced the emergency evacuation of tens of
00:05thousands of residents and tourists across southwestern France and regions near the
00:09Spanish capital of Madrid. In France, authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the entire
00:15Cap Ferret Peninsula and the Gironde region, where hundreds of people managed to escape by
00:20boat across the Bay of Arcachon. Fire officials described the blazes as an unprecedented XXL fire,
00:27noting that severe drought conditions are causing fires to explode overnight at speeds of up to
00:321,000 hectares burned per hour. Further down the coast in the Landis region around Biscaros,
00:38tens of thousands more were forced from their homes and campsites as temperatures surged past
00:4236 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, across the border, the Spanish government declared a national emergency
00:50after out-of-control fires merged west of Madrid. Regional leaders labeled it the worst fire in
00:56the area's history, prompting the immediate evacuation of more than 19,000 people.
01:01With the European Union deploying emergency firefighting aircraft to both countries,
01:06climate experts warn that extreme temperatures and prolonged droughts are making these catastrophic
01:10wildfires increasingly common across southern Europe.
