• Wildfires in France and Spain have led to 260,000 evacuations, with concerns over intensifying droughts due to fossil-fuel-driven climate change.
• French firefighters are working to contain major blazes near Bordeaux, with President Macron praising efforts to protect civilians and warning of a new heatwave approaching.
• In Spain, wildfires have destroyed almost 80,000 hectares of land, with evacuations affecting around 90,000 people and concerns over a new heatwave forecasted for Wednesday.

French firefighters were continuing efforts to contain major wildfires near Bordeaux ahead of a new heatwave, as President Emmanuel Macron said the smaller of the two blazes had been brought under control.

The larger fire continued to pose difficulties for emergency crews, Macron said during a visit to the operation headquarters in Bordeaux on Monday evening.

"We will win this fight to protect the population," he said, praising the "remarkable work" carried out to protect civilians.

Some 2,500 firefighters, 18 firefighting aircraft and 1,500 soldiers are deployed in the region, supported by emergency crews and equipment from across France and abroad.

Firefighters also cleared numerous firebreaks through forests on Monday in an effort to prevent the flames from spreading further.

More than 220,000 people have been brought to safety in the region since Wednesday, including many tourists.

Authorities said further weather developments, including the onset of wind and heat, would be an important factor in firefighting efforts.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez urged people to avoid travelling to the affected Gironde region, stressing that the danger had not yet passed. Authorities are concerned that a renewed heatwave, forecast to arrive on Tuesday, could worsen conditions.

The fires have come within 15 kilometres of Bordeaux and destroyed around 42,000 hectares of forest and scrubland, an area of 420 square kilometres.

However, firefighters have managed to prevent the blaze from spreading further since Sunday night and authorities said the situation had stabilized.

Tourism industry fears season is over

The wildfires have also dealt a severe blow to the summer tourism season around Bordeaux.

"This is a severe blow for a large part of the [region], which relies heavily on tourism. Tourism has come to a complete standstill; the season is over," the broadcaster BFMTV cited Patrick Seguin, president of the Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as saying.

"We urge the French public not to travel to the Gironde whilst the fire remains out of control," government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said earlier on Monday.

Situation eases slightly in Spain

In Spain, the situation showed signs of easing, although authorities warned against declaring the danger over too soon.

The provinces of Ávila, west of Madrid, and the neighbouring regions of Madrid and Toledo remain particularly affected. Together, the fires there have destroyed almost 80,000 hectares of forest and scrubland.

The spread of the fires has slowed significantly since the weekend.

The Interior Ministry in Madrid put the total number of people affected by evacuations and movement restrictions at around 90,000.

The coming hours are considered critical, with weather service Aemet forecasting another heatwave from Wednesday.

Fires also continue to burn in the eastern province of Castellón, where around 16,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.

Spain and France have received firefighting planes and helicopters from other European countries to help battle the wildfires.

The support was organized and funded through the bloc's crisis response mechanism, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

"No country should ever have to face a disaster of this scale alone," said EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.