Amman, July 25 (Petra) -- Uncontrolled wildfires sweeping across Spain and France have forced authorities to evacuate more than 250,000 people near the French city of Bordeaux and surrounding areas of Madrid, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared saving lives the top priority.

Satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that 2026 has set a new record for total land area burned in France, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, according to Agence France-Presse.

EFFIS data showed that approximately 69,473 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year, compared to just over 66,300 hectares recorded in 2022.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 167,000 people have been evacuated nationwide due to blazes near Bordeaux and the surrounding Gironde region in the southwest.

In Spain, authorities activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting four firefighting aircraft. Greece responded to the appeal by dispatching two Canadair water-bombing planes to assist Spanish crews.

Spain's Interior Ministry reported that evacuations in the Madrid region have exceeded 70,000 people, an increase of 25,000 from earlier official estimates.

//Petra// AF