France Orders Total Evacuation of Cap Ferret as Wildfires Sweep Western Europe

French authorities ordered the total evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula on Friday as wildfires fanned by extreme heat and strong winds swept across western Europe. The popular Atlantic coast tourism hotspot in the Gironde region was cleared as flames threatened homes, campsites and pine forests along the coastline.

The fires also triggered a state of emergency in Spain's Madrid region, where authorities scrambled to contain blazes amid soaring temperatures. The scale of the outbreaks prompted Paris to formally request emergency assistance from the European Union, seeking additional firefighting resources to support overstretched national crews.

Emergency services across the region remained on high alert as forecasters warned that the combination of heat and wind could fuel further blazes in the coming days. Officials said priority was being given to protecting residents and tourists as evacuation orders were enforced along threatened coastal and inland areas.