FIRE 15 KILOMETRES FROM BORDEAUX

PARIS, JULY 27 /SRNA/ - The wildfire has come within 15 kilometers of Bordeaux, Mayor Thomas Cazenave warned, emphasizing the need for preparations for all scenarios.

"We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people if further evacuations are ordered," Cazenave said.

Jérôme Steff, mayor of Sestas, a town south of Bordeaux, said this would be the "fire of the century."

He added that the situation in his town was catastrophic and that 17,000 residents had been evacuated.

Steff said that 42,000 hectares of land had so far been burned in the region and that 240 homes had been destroyed.

Although the fire is no longer spreading as rapidly, Steff said his teams had won only a small battle, while the risk of flying embers or a sudden change in wind direction remains.

"We have put all our energy into creating firebreaks," he explained, admitting that everyone is frightened by the situation.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said earlier that firefighters in the Gironde region were facing an "unprecedented situation."

Around 220,000 people have been evacuated in France and more than 100,000 in Spain, where wildfires are burning out of control west of Madrid.

Another intense heatwave could further hinder firefighting efforts, the BBC reported.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that 13,566 fires have been recorded in France since January.

Wildfires are also raging in several other French regions, including Var and Landes, as well as on the island of Corsica.