Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - France and Spain are racing to contain huge wildfires that have forced around 320,000 people from their homes. Firefighters are battling intense heat, dry conditions and shifting winds, while officials warn that the danger is far from over.

In France, the worst fires have hit the Gironde region near Bordeaux, where tens of thousands were evacuated as flames spread through parched forests and scrubland. In Spain, evacuations have continued around Madrid, Ávila and Valencia, with some areas still burning out of control despite large emergency deployments. The scale of the crisis has made this one of Europe’s biggest evacuation efforts in decades. Fire crews, military personnel and aircraft are all involved, but a fresh heatwave expected later this week could make containment even harder.

The main focus is keeping people safe and preventing the fires from spreading further. With weather conditions still hostile, authorities say the next few days will be critical.