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European Wildfires Threaten Bordeaux, France... Over 300,000 Evacuate

Kim Yongtae

Published : Jul 27, 2026 12:23 PM

Video

[Anchor]

Multiple wildfires in France and Spain continue to spread. More than 300,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated, and in France, even the Bordeaux region, well-known for wine production, is under threat.

Reporter Kim Yongtae has the story.

[Reporter]

Wildfires that broke out simultaneously in southwestern France have grown larger, fueled by dry weather and strong winds.

They are also threatening the Bordeaux wine-producing region in France, with local media reporting that the flames have spread to within 15 kilometers of Bordeaux.

With additional evacuation orders issued for 55,000 people, 220,000 people have evacuated from this region alone.

An area of 420 square kilometers, four times the size of Paris, has burned, and about 240 houses have been completely destroyed.

[Jean-Claude / Evacuated Resident: It is important to know when we can go home. I came thinking I would only be here for 24 hours, but it looks like I will have to stay for 48 hours, 72 hours, or maybe even longer.]

Security personnel who had been deployed to the Tour de France, a world-class cycling race, were instead dispatched to the wildfire sites, leading to a shortened race course.

Neighboring Spain is also suffering from wildfires.

Amid a declared state of emergency, 37 road sections adjacent to the capital Madrid and Ávila have been closed.

King Felipe VI, who visited an evacuation center on the outskirts of Madrid, comforted the displaced people while stating that a great deal of natural heritage has been lost and significant danger still remains.

With 60,000 people evacuated in the Madrid region alone, the number of residents and tourists who have evacuated to escape the wildfires in Spain and France has surpassed 300,000.

[Video Editing: Jung Sunghoon]