Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Firefighters in Spain and France continue to tackle major wildfires as more than 300,000 people remain evacuated across the scorched countries.

Here are the latest developments:

In Spain

• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says there are eight major active wildfires, but that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" after days of emergency efforts
• The regional president of Madrid says authorities are considering allowing some people to return to their homes
• Spain's national weather service warns there are still "extreme" fire risks due to intense heat and dryness across the country

In France

• Firefighters are facing a "David against Goliath" battle against a fire in Gironde which is 15km (nine miles) from Bordeaux

• The French city has been blanketed in smoke and an eerie orange-tinted haze, says our reporter, but firefighters have said there is no threat to the city

• French President Emmanuel Macron warns the fires are the "toughest since the Second World War" but firefighters reported a relatively good night with the fire stabilised but not under control, our correspondent writes

Image source, Getty Images

There is a "significant flare-up" in Lège-Cap Ferret, a coastal area west of Bordeaux, the municipality has announced.

The authority says aerial firefighting resources have been deployed near the Grand Crohot beach, while firebreaks have been created or widened to protect the area.

It adds that the evacuation order for the area remains in effect and it is "critical" that individuals do not return.

As well as the huge fires near Bordeaux, France has also been contending with another large blaze in the south-east.

Rock Bastille's family lost their home and holiday business in the French village of Cotignac, north-west of Marseille.

He says he was not scared when the fire started last Tuesday because it was expected to go in another direction.

"But by the end of the day, the wind changed, and the fire went into our place," Rock tells the BBC News channel.

"In 15 minutes we had to run away. We had 10 horses, some dogs, a donkey and we had my little brother who is five years old."

His parents' had lodges in the "idyllic" forest, but the fire ripped through it all.

"There's literally nothing left, just some dust and ashes right now," he says.

Although it's a "big loss", Rock is grateful all the animals are safe, as well as praising the "beautiful" solidarity in the community.

We've been reporting on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as he speaks at a conference about wildfires.

He said that the government will be mobilising all necessary resources to extinguish the last flames of the fires.

In a post on X, he warns that Spain must not lower it's guard, and that the coming days will be especially complicated with temperature increases.

It can make putting out fires difficult, and also increasing the risk of further ones, the PM adds.

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, Mark Carlson

A video journalist covering the blaze around Bordeaux says he has seen fires starting back up every day since he first came to the Gironde region last Friday.

Mark Carlson has been filming firefighting efforts in the region as authorities continue to tackle blazes.

He tells me: "You can see the fires go from cinders to growing really quickly because there's still some fuel in the forest floor."

The journalist adds that alongside helicopters dropping sea water onto the fires, he has seen local farmers spraying water on flames with their own tanks alongside firefighters in a "remarkable" effort, acting "almost immediately".

"It's like a people's army against the fire already existed here," Carlson says.

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, Nicole Quilfen

Nicole Quilfen lives in Pessac, a south-western suburb of Bordeaux, where a wildfire burns just a few miles away.

She moved from the UK to France more than 25 years ago and says that while an evacuation order hasn't been given in Pessac, she's "scared but ready".

The 54-year-old tells the BBC that she left a friend's wedding reception early to prepare for a potential evacuation.

She describes Bordeaux as "overwhelmed", comparing the emptiness of the streets to the Covid pandemic years.

"People are cancelling vacations and leaving," Nicole says.

She is offering free cancellations for her Airbnb and is welcoming volunteers, nurses and ambulance drivers to stay.

"We see lots of military planes and helicopters, we hear sirens all day, there's a lot of noise," Nicole adds.

Sergi Forcada Freixas

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking at a news conference, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says there are currently eight major active wildfires across the country.

He warns against what he called "climate denialism", describing it as "the worst of fuels in the face of the climate emergency".

Sánchez calls for Spain's political parties and social actors to reach a national agreement on climate action.

"Denying reality and the warnings of science does not prepare us," he says. "On the contrary, it makes us much more vulnerable and leaves our population less safe."

More than 170,000 hectares have already burned in Spain this year, six times as much land as had been scorched by this point last year, which was itself considered a particularly difficult wildfire season.

Sanchez is continuing to speak about domestic issues, but we will provide updates if he says anything more about the wildfires.

Gwyn Loader
In Bordeaux on behalf of BBC-produced Newyddion S4C

About 660 people are sheltering at the the sprawling Bordeaux exhibition centre.

It’s substantially quieter than it was at its busiest, when 6,000 people sought refuge here.

Children play badminton over a makeshift net and some play board games at collapsible tables.

Others lie on camp beds reading newspapers or staring solemnly at their phones, hoping for good news.

But with a yellow heatwave alert in place over the coming days, those staying here fear the situation could yet worsen.

Image source, Getty Images

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is speaking at a press conference, where he says that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" in the fight against wildfires.

However, he warns that a new heatwave will make it more difficult to put out the fires and increase the risk of more blazes.

Will will bring you more from the news conference when we have it.

Wildfires in south-west France and across central and eastern Spain have sparked the evacuation of more than 300,000 people.

In France:

• Up to 220,000 people have been evacuated in the Gironde region
• 30,000 people have also been evacuated in the neighbouring Landes region

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

In Spain

• Wildfires near Madrid have forced the evacuation of 63,152 people - including 31,865 in the Madrid region, 25,087 in Ávila and 6,200 in Toledo
• A further 27,797 people have been ordered to stay at home
• Another wildfire near Valencia has prompted the evacuation of more than 15,000 people, according to local reports

We can bring you now an updated map of the active wildfires that have been detected in the last 24 hours.

Officials in France say that around 42,000 hectares have burned in the past five or six days, and around 240 homes destroyed. Efforts are being made to protect industrial areas in the west of Bordeaux, though there is no threat to the city.

In Spain, the head of the regional government of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, has said the "wildfire situation is gradually improving," adding "we can be more optimistic today and begin planning the safe return of residents to several municipalities."

But Spanish authorities have also said the next few days are crucial as temperatures rise.

Jenna Macfarlane
Live reporter

I was in Bordeaux over the weekend with friends and it felt very dystopian.

The whole city was blanketed in a layer of smoke, which created an eerie orange-tinged haze.

People were walking around with Covid-style masks on, and our clothes and hair smelled like we'd been at a barbecue.

At one point, a strong burning smell was everywhere and it felt quite uncomfortable to breathe.

Usually the streets are full of tourists and locals sitting outside cafes enjoying food and drink, but on Saturday and Sunday the place felt deserted, with many people opting to sit inside or just stay at home.

Some residents we spoke to were concerned about how close the fire was edging towards their beloved city.

Yet others were keen to carry on as normal, hoping that the situation wouldn't worsen.

French authorities say another firefighter has died while on duty.

Corporal Laurent Manson was a volunteer firefighter with the Saint-Étienne-du-Grès fire and rescue centre.

The 38-year-old died following a road accident on Monday, France's interior ministry says.

In a tribute, the regional fire and rescue service shared their condolences with his family and loved ones "in this painful ordeal".

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Brocardi, a spokesman for the National Federation of Firefighters of France, said during a press conference earlier that four firefighters have died this summer.

Hugh Schofield
Paris correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Reports this morning suggest it has been a relatively successful night for firefighters.

That said, the fire, destruction and potential for new fires is extensive. Fires are close to Bordeaux and its western suburbs, and authorities say there are fires still 15km (9 miles) west of the city.

Another issue is that the heat is coming back and winds are pushing towards the sea this time, which are bad circumstances as fires could resume.

I don't think there's an immediate prospect of fires reaching the city Bordeaux and I don't think Bordeaux is under threat.

Fires like this need brush, wood and fuel, which they get in these dry woodlands - which isn't the case for Bordeaux's inner city region.

Before the press conference ends, a question is asked about any potential threat to the city of Bordeaux.

Remi Lassoureille says the city is not a concern right now.

However, he adds that teams are focused on its protection, including protecting buildings and industry on the west part of the municipality of the wider Bordeaux area.

Image source, Reuters

Brocardi says there needs to be a "massive attack" strategy to tackle wildfires in France, adding that previously firefighting planes were only used around two months a year but but they are being used for up to five.

He says it's very important to fight fire fast using lots of fire engines and aeroplanes, and such a strategy requires a lot of firefighters and pilots.

Lassoureille says firefighting efforts have been focusing on Lacanau in Gironde this morning.

He says for the first time, firefighters are afraid about the possibility of the north-western edge of the area's fire reactivating towards Lacanau.

He adds that while action has been taken to evacuate, the situation is "relatively under control".

Image source, EPA

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Brocardi recalls dramatic images from wildfires in Canada and Australia last year, saying that a similar phenomenon is happening in France.

The phenomenon in question is the appearance of fire clouds, or "pyrocumulonimbus", which he describes as clouds with their own climate, doesn't follow the normal behaviour of a fire without these clouds.

Brocardi says firefighting teams have had to change their techniques and strategy in light of this phenomenon.

Brocardi also recalls that traditionally only the south of France would see wildfires, but now they can happen across the country.

In turn, more firefighters are needed to learn the skills and expertise that southern regions have.

For context: Scientists sometimes describe these "fire clouds" as a fire-generated thunderstorm because the fire itself provides the energy needed to build the cloud. The huge amount of heat generated by wildfires makes the air above the fire rise rapidly, carrying smoke, ash and water vapour high into the atmosphere.

As the air rises, it cools and the water vapour condenses into a cloud. If the fire is powerful enough and the atmosphere is unstable, that cloud can grow into a towering cumulonimbus - the same type of cloud associated with thunderstorms.

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Brocardi, a spokesman for the National Federation of Firefighters of France, is now speaking.

He says France is facing wildfires of "exceptional intensity" in both Gironde and the south of the country.

Brocardi adds that 200,000 people have been saved thanks to the "fantastic" efforts of the firefighters, though small roads in Gironde have made it difficult for firefighters to travel across the region.

He pays tribute to the four firefighters who have died.

"The fire is big. It's like David against Goliath," he says, before adding: "[Firefighters] say that we are little but we have a good strategy."

Image source, EPA

Remi Lassoureille, who leads the forest fire efforts in Gironde, says an area of around 42,000 hectares has been burnt in the past five or six days but that has not significantly increased overnight.

He says so far about 240 homes and houses have been destroyed.

Lassoureille adds that more than 2,000 firefighters are tackling the fire and there has been aerial support from other European countries.

He adds that firefighters have made large fire breaks at the edges of the fire to try and stop it impacting Bordeaux.

French authorities are providing an update on the state of wildfires and their proximity to Bordeaux.

We'll be bringing you the latest as soon as we have it.