French authorities have ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula on the southwest coast, with hundreds of people escaping by boat as wildfires continue to devastate the Gironde region.

Tens of thousands are being evacuated from the tourist destination west of Bordeaux, as firefighters battle blazes that have been raging for days. The fires, which started Tuesday in Saumos, have consumed 8,700 hectares (about 21,500 acres).

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 40,000 people had been or were being evacuated from the peninsula. He reported that 80 homes had burned, around 50 of them completely destroyed.

The mayor of Arès, southeast of Lège-Cap Ferret on the Bay of Arcachon, said his town was also being evacuated. Further down the coast, a major fire near Biscarrosse in the Landes region prompted the evacuation of more than 23,000 people.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the wildfire situation as "very tense" and requested EU assistance. Aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are expected to arrive.

In Spain, firefighters are tackling wildfires near Madrid. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared a national emergency as fires burned in Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo. Local emergency services said more than 10,000 people had been evacuated.

Both fires in Spain were described as "out of control" on Friday morning, although their progression had been "limited" in recent hours. Aldea del Fresno and other areas have been evacuated.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk