French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the armed forces to provide maximum support to civil protection authorities as wildfires in south-western France continue to grow to what officials describe as unprecedented proportions.
Earlier, Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas warned that the wildfire is moving towards Bordeaux, adding that several communities near the city of one million residents are expected to be evacuated.
According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, around 110,000 people have already been forced to leave their homes. The fire in Gironde has burned 190,000 stremmata (19,000 hectares) and destroyed around 100 buildings.
Speaking to TF1, Nuñez described the situation as "unprecedented".
"We have never seen anything like this, a self-sustaining wildfire on such a scale," he said.
Madrid wildfire at its peak
In Spain, authorities said the wildfire burning in the Madrid region is currently at its most intense stage.
"The fire is clearly at its peak right now. It is impossible to extinguish it at this moment," emergency management chief Carlos Novillo told reporters.
One positive development, he added, is that the separate wildfire in Ávila is moving further north than anticipated, raising hopes that it will not merge with the Madrid blaze.
The Spanish government announced that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the Madrid fire zone on Saturday alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
The fire has already burned approximately 60,000 stremmata (6,000 hectares), while around 40,000 people have either been evacuated or instructed to remain indoors and not attempt to leave.
Regional government representative Francisco Martín Aguirre described the situation as "very complex", citing strong winds and warning that further evacuations could not be ruled out.
"For an area with such a high concentration of homes and population, this is a disaster," Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso said.
Conditions improve in Guadalajara
Authorities reported more encouraging developments in Guadalajara, where Spain's largest wildfire of the year has burned 320,000 stremmata (32,000 hectares) over the past week.
The regional firefighting service Infocam said conditions had become more favourable and the blaze had entered a stabilisation phase.
A reduction in wind speeds expected from Saturday is also likely to assist firefighting operations.
The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, announced that residents of 14 evacuated communities would be allowed to return home.
Although the fire alert level has been lowered, more than 200 soldiers, 20 ground units and two aircraft remain deployed in the area.
Garcia-Page also pledged support to authorities in the Madrid and Castilla y León regions, where two major wildfires continue to threaten communities.
