A large wildfire in southwestern France has led to the evacuation of more than 250,000 people as flames approach the city of Bordeaux. The blaze, which began earlier this week in the Gironde region, has scorched roughly 42,000 hectares (162 square miles) of mainly forest and scrubland, an area about four times the size of Paris. Conditions remain challenging for firefighting efforts due to shifting and gusting winds, prolonged dry weather, and high temperatures forecasted in the coming days.

Authorities ordered overnight evacuations for an additional 55,000 residents in several localities southwest of Bordeaux, bringing the total displaced in the region to 220,000. A separate fire in the Landes region, farther south, forced the evacuation of 36,000 more people. Meanwhile, wildfires in the Var region on France’s Mediterranean coast have prompted the evacuation of nearly 3,000 individuals.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the situation as “very unfavorable” following another difficult night for fire crews. He noted that the fire has become “extremely virulent and unpredictable,” producing its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area. Nevertheless, the minister confirmed that conditions had calmed somewhat by early Monday.

Firefighters deployed about 2,500 personnel supported by 18 aircraft—including planes and helicopters from other European countries—and soldiers to combat the flames. A military cargo plane also dropped large quantities of fire retardant. Efforts to fight flare-ups have been bolstered by local farmers who delivered water tanks to help crews maintain continuous operations. Despite these measures, roughly 75 firefighters have sustained injuries, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Fire officials reported the fire has at times developed into a self-sustaining firestorm, generating lightning that could ignite new blazes, a phenomenon unprecedented in recent French wildfire history.

Bordeaux, home to approximately 268,000 residents, is currently not under evacuation orders, though mayor Thomas Cazenave acknowledged the fire was “at the gates of the metropolitan area,” about nine miles (15 kilometers) away. The city has converted an exhibition center into an emergency shelter accommodating thousands of evacuees, including elderly individuals relocated from care homes. Local officials have urged tourists and vacationers to avoid the region while the fires remain uncontrolled.

In neighboring Spain, wildfires have also forced significant evacuations, particularly near Madrid and in the Valencia region. Authorities reported that 76,000 people have been evacuated, with 30,000 others confined to their homes. A man died in a wildfire near Manises, a suburb of Valencia, marking Spain’s first fatality in the latest series of fires. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged ongoing challenges but expressed cautious optimism after improvements in containment overnight.

Evacuees on both sides of the border face uncertainty about the condition of their homes and communities upon return, with many describing scenes of widespread devastation and ash covering affected areas. The combined wildfire emergencies highlight the escalating risks posed by dry, hot weather and shifting wind patterns in southwestern Europe this summer.