Another 55,000 people left, France was hit by a ‘storm’ of fire

An additional 55,000 people have been evacuated from six French cities as wildfires continue to wreak havoc across the country.

The most recent displacement took place in towns south of Bordeaux in the Gironde region.

Wildfires have raged across Europe in the past week, mainly in France and Spain, where more than 330,000 people have been evacuated.

France was badly hit, with 42,000 hectares burning, the largest forest fire since World War II. 98,000 hectares of land have burned across the country since the beginning of the year.

Captain Nicholas Brath, one of the leaders of the firefighting operation, said the fire had created “its own wind – completely by storm”, saying it was “wrong and uncontrollable”.

A 60-kilometer (37-mile) stretch of the A63 highway to Spain was closed as dry vegetation and strong winds pushed the fire to spread.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in an interview published by La Tribune on Sunday that “it will take a long time to get under control” and that until it is under control there will be “no return” for displaced residents and tourists.

France mobilized its troops to help with the response and additional reinforcements were sent from the army to help firefighters clear brush and create firebreaks.

President Emmanuel Macron said France will “rebuild” and his government “will be there as long as necessary”.

Meanwhile, fires continue to spread in Spain, with more than 90,000 people evacuated from regions around Madrid and Ávila.

By late Saturday, at least eight municipalities near Toledo had also been ordered to evacuate, though it was unclear how many people were involved.

Sunday is expected to bring high temperatures and low humidity, which will allow the fire to spread further.

The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, described the situation as “the worst fire in the history of the region.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted there were “complex times ahead”. Meanwhile, authorities in Valencia have confirmed that one person has died in a fire.