Aussie travellers warned as wildfires continue to ravage Europe

Aussie travellers in parts of Europe have been warned they could be forced to evacuate as wildfires rage across France and Spain.

Nearly 200,000 people in south-western France have been evacuated as high winds have created fire conditions that are at an “unprecedented level”, the country’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.

“We are facing a convective fire: a blaze that generates its own winds, accelerates its spread, and can abruptly change direction,” Lecornu said on X.

“Civil security specialists had never before encountered such a phenomenon.”

The fires are close to major tourist hotspot Bordeaux, with authorities ordering people to evacuate, including from parts of the city’s western suburbs and other towns and villages.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued an official warning for people in France.

“Wildfires are impacting parts of France,” the updated advice on the Smart Traveller website said.

“Large-scale evacuations are occurring in south-west France, including in tourist areas. Monitor media and follow advice of local authorities.”

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The fires are so severe that they have forced organisers of the Tour de France to shorten the famous final stage in Paris, as emergency services struggle to contain the blaze.

Tour riders will race on a circuit of 89 kilometres – down by a third from the 133-kilometre route that had been planned.

Part of the race’s security detail will instead “reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires,” according to a joint statement by race organisers and Paris police, announcing the “exceptional measures made necessary by the situation”.

The situation is similar in parts of Spain, as 88,000 people have been evacuated or confined to their homes due to wildfires, with an elderly man confirmed to have died in his car near Valencia.

Three blazes near capital city Madrid, two of which merged on Friday, have prompted Spain to declare its first national emergency over a wildfire.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia warned against outdoor activities in Madrid because of the smoke.

“Avoid physical activity and staying outdoors. If you go outdoors and there is smoke or ash, use a mask,” she said on X.

The violence of the fires has shocked firefighters in both Spain and France, with Spanish firefighters saying the blazes spread so fast and violently that they could not be tackled head on.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Javier Organista, a resident of El Tiemblo, west of Madrid, where fire charred a famed chestnut grove.

“When we saw the flames coming into our town, surrounding us, leaving us with practically no way out, all the neighbours joined together to try to stop its advance.”

“It’s just really sad,” he said.

-Reported with Associated Press and Reuters