Thousands more ordered to evacuate in Spain as wildfires burn across Europepublished at 17:13 BST
Image source, Getty ImagesA thick column of smoke in El Tiemblo, Avila, in Spain as thousands are forced to evacuate
Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate across Europe as multiple wildfires continue to burn, spurred on by the back-to-back heatwaves that have taken place on the continent.
In Spain, more towns near the capital of Madrid have been ordered to evacuate, as tens of thousands have already begun or completed the process as wildfires continue to burn – they were out of control on Thursday.
Two wildfires near the capital merged earlier today, while authorities believe they could form an even bigger blaze with a fire in the neighbouring Avila province.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior says in a post on X that Fresnedillas de la Oliva and Robledo de Chavela are the newest towns to be evacuated.
Meanwhile, tourists and residents have been evacuated from the entirety of the Cap Ferret peninsula in the south-west of France, with hundreds escaping by boat.
The fires there, which began on Tuesday, have burned for days, with officials saying 12,500 hectares (more than 30,000 acres) had been consumed by flames.
Meanwhile, in Italy thousands of emergency responders have been working to contain fires, and authorities have paid tribute to a firefighter who died tackling a wildfire in Sicily.
This is a developing story and we will bring you the latest updates and analysis throughout.
