Live: Bordeaux evacuates 55,000 more as fires worsen in France and Spain

Major autoroute closed in Gironde

Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ordered a partial closure order of the A63.

“South-North sine: closure between Interchange 17 of Liposthey and Interchange 24 located in Cestas. North-South direction: closure between the ring road and interchange 23, located in Marcheprime,” says the message published on X.

The message asks the population to avoid the sector at all costs.

Thousands of soldiers and security deployed in France to assist firefighters

France has deployed 1,500 soldiers and 1,700 security personnel to assist firefighters near Bordeaux, and on Saturday an A400M military transport aircraft joined the fleet of smaller planes already dousing the flames.

Dozens of firefighters were deployed from Paris to reinforce the response. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said a total of 1,400 firefighters were tackling the blazes.

Spain orders more evacuations as Madrid wildfires worsen

Spain’s interior ministry announced a fresh round of evacuations late on Saturday as wildfires raged near Madrid, including in the province of Toledo, south-west of the Spanish capital.

“The situation is complex,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters. “Today, we are somewhat more pessimistic than yesterday. Weather conditions – as you have seen throughout the day – have not helped at all. The night ahead does not look favourable; it will not be an easy one for us,” he warned.