France wildfires force more than 250,000 to evacuate, Macron holds crisis Cabinet meeting

Wildfires sweeping across southwest France have forced more than 250,000 people from their homes, French authorities said, in one of the largest evacuation operations the region has seen in years. Firefighters have been battling the blazes for days as dry conditions and strong winds fueled their rapid spread across forests and farmland. Neighboring Spain has also reported fires affecting communities near the border.

President Emmanuel Macron is convening a crisis Cabinet meeting to coordinate the national response, bringing together ministers responsible for the interior, environment and civil protection. The government has mobilized additional firefighting resources, including aircraft and reinforcements from other regions, to support local emergency teams already stretched by the scale of the disaster.

Authorities have set up emergency shelters for displaced residents and urged those in affected zones to follow evacuation orders. Officials have not yet given a timeline for containment, and monitoring continues as the fires threaten to spread further across the drought-stricken southwest.