‘Apocalyptic’ wildfires are now just nine miles from Bordeaux with next 24 hours ‘crucial’

A huge wildfire raging across France is now only nine miles from the city of Bordeaux.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called an emergency cabinet meeting as officials warn that the next 24 hours will be critical in the battle to save the city.

The fire, which is being fuelled by scorching temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds, is now around 15km (nine miles) from Bordeaux.

No evacuation order has, however, yet been issued for the city.

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation as ‘very unfavourable’, warning the fire is moving unpredictably towards Bordeaux.

Fire crews have also claimed that a giant thunderstorm, known as the rare ‘pyrocumulonimbus’, has been generated by the fire itself, producing its own winds and lightning.

Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s National Firefighters Federation, said crews were facing an almost impossible task.

‘We don’t know how the blaze will spread. The fire front is constantly shifting. We cannot fight it directly,’ he said.

‘It’s a David-versus-Goliath scenario.’

More than 220,000 people have already been evacuated from south-west France, while around 42,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in one of the country’s largest wildfires since the Second World War.

The crisis is also unfolding across Spain, where thousands more people have fled advancing flames near Valencia, Madrid and Ávila.

More than 330,000 people have now been evacuated across France and Spain as firefighters continue battling the devastating blazes.

A French foreign minister has urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans despite unprecedented wildfires in the country’s south west.

Éléonore Caroit, the French minister for international partnerships,has urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans despite the fire.

Ms Caroit told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday: ‘It’s more than an incident, it really is a tragedy, nearly 50,000 hectares have been burned this year. It’s significantly worse than last year and even 2022, which was the worst year we had had.

‘You have entire areas that are fine, you’re seeing similar phenomena in Spain and other countries. I’m in Paris and nothing is happening, and most other regions are okay, so do please come to France and do not cancel your travel plans.

‘But wherever you are, please do be advised as to what might be happening.’

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has said: ‘My thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Europe.

‘I am in touch with my French and Spanish counterparts about the situation.

‘British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities in the area, alongside FCDO travel advice.’

One British restaurant owner in Bordeaux said the city is ‘full of smoke and ash’.

Lance Attwood, 58, who owns Sweeney Todd’s in Bordeaux city centre, said: ‘It’s not really conducive to coming out. The town is full of smoke and ash, so there’s a big drop in business, people are just walking around town in masks.

‘Our biggest concern is people’s safety and the safety of the emergency services.’

Meanwhile, Edward Chisholm, a 38-year-old from the UK, told The Telegraph: ‘My girlfriend and I have been renting a house on Grand Piquey, which is on the northern end of Cap Ferret, for our holiday with our four-year-old son.

‘It was quite an apocalyptic scene – the sky was a burnt colour, and there was ash falling continuously.’