French officials have directed nearly 60,000 residents near Bordeaux to leave their homes, pushing the combined total of evacuations from wildfires in France and Spain above 220,000.

Roughly 200,000 individuals have left areas in the Gironde and Landes departments of south-west France. President Emmanuel Macron has called in military units to support firefighting operations.

At the same time, a wildfire close to Madrid has grown beyond what local crews can handle, Spanish authorities warned after three separate fires west of the capital joined into one large front.

The national government has issued an emergency declaration, ordering 25,000 people to evacuate while nearly 40,000 others were told to remain inside.

Regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso labeled the event the worst fire in the region's history, citing a combination of extreme heat, strong winds and converging fire lines.

Local services reported that flames were advancing toward Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva, roughly 50 km from Madrid.

Emergency chief Carlos Novillo told reporters the fire had reached its maximum intensity and could not be stopped by direct attack, so crews were focusing on defensive actions instead.

The mayor of El Tiemblo in Ávila described how flames traveled 20 km from Navaluenga to the Iruelas Valley in under 30 minutes, calling the speed horrific.

Officials estimate more than 6,000 hectares have burned in the Madrid region and nearly 9,000 hectares in Ávila.

Eight municipalities were fully evacuated, while several others including San Martín de Valdeiglesias remain under lockdown orders.

Resident Ecologio Cabrera, 86, fled his village west of Madrid and later said from a shelter that the fire would consume anyone who tried to stand against it.

His family attempted to protect their house with garden hoses until firefighters ordered everyone out, an experience he said he had never faced before.

Ayuso described conditions as unusual and catastrophic, with saving lives as the top priority.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit the emergency center early Saturday, while earlier he urged residents to exercise extreme caution.

Authorities have detained one person and are questioning another in connection with a fire that may have started from machinery use during a restricted period.

In south-west France, around 200,000 people have left the Gironde and Landes areas after fires spread rapidly through the countryside.

Four communities near Bordeaux with a combined population of 58,400 were evacuated overnight as a safety measure.

The Gironde fire has scorched more than 19,000 hectares and destroyed about 80 homes, according to local officials.

The entire Cap Ferret peninsula was cleared, with many residents and visitors leaving by boat as flames reached the tourist area.

Fire officials noted that dry conditions allowed the blaze to keep moving overnight, exceeding the severity seen in 2022.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the fire was self-sustaining and shifting direction toward Bordeaux, prompting a revised ground strategy.

Another wildfire near Biscarrosse in Landes forced more than 23,000 people from homes, campsites and other facilities amid 50 km/h winds and temperatures near 37 C.

President Macron called the national situation very tense and scheduled an emergency meeting for Saturday, while also requesting European assistance including helicopters from Czech and Slovak teams.

The European Union has sent aircraft and helicopters to both countries as southern Europe deals with repeated heatwaves and drought.

Italy has also reported active fires this week, including one in Sicily that claimed the life of a firefighter.

Europe is warming faster than any other continent, more than twice the global average since the 1980s, leaving vegetation drier and more flammable.

Although a spark is still required, extreme heat, low moisture and strong winds allow fires to grow rapidly and resist containment efforts.

More land has burned across Europe this year than the average for the past two decades, with the highest risk concentrated in southern regions.