Tens of thousands flee fires in France, blazes merge outside Madrid

In short:

Tens of thousands of people have fled wildfires in south-west France while authorities have ordered the total evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula.

French President Emmanuel Macron requested help from the European Union as a heatwave continues to grip the continent.

Meanwhile, blazes have merged outside Madrid and Spain has for the first time declared a national emergency over fires.

More than 29 major fires have broken out in Spain so far this year, damaging a surface area five times greater than at the same stage in 2025, when a record area was destroyed, Environment Minister Sara Aagesen said in a social media post.