French officials have directed the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula in Lège-Cap Ferret along the southwestern coast, with hundreds departing the zone by boat.

The popular tourist destination is being cleared while firefighters work to contain a wildfire that has burned across the Gironde region for several days.

The fire, which ignited on Tuesday in Saumos, kept advancing through the night and has now scorched 8,700 hectares, or roughly 21,500 acres.

Meanwhile Spain's government has declared a national emergency because wildfires are burning out of control in zones near the capital Madrid.

No new casualties were reported overnight in southwestern France, although two firefighters died on Tuesday while fighting a blaze near Bordeaux airport.

Further south along the Atlantic coast near Biscarosse in the Landes region, another major fire that started on Thursday afternoon has forced the evacuation of more than 23,000 people.

Around 18,000 residents in Biscarrosse and 5,000 in Parentis-en-Born left homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.

A Friday morning regional update stated that the center of Biscarrosse is now being evacuated.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the wildfire situation on Thursday night as very tense, especially in Gironde.

Macron requested European Union assistance, and aircraft support is expected soon from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas ordered the final phase of the peninsula evacuation early on Friday morning.

People are directed to leave via the main D106 road toward Bordeaux, while boats will operate between 07:00 and 10:00 local time from four piers.

Around 20,000 people in the Gironde region, many of them visitors at peninsula campsites, were evacuated on Thursday.

Additional evacuations took place from La Porge on Thursday night and Ms Brocas said the operation had proceeded calmly.

She added that homes in cleared zones would be monitored to prevent vandalism.

Significant resources remain deployed on the ground, with further ground and air reinforcements due in the coming hours.

The public has been advised to stay away from the affected areas.