168.am — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed her support for France and Spain, which have been battling wildfires for days.
In her microblog, she wrote that five aircraft and two helicopters from the European Union's rescue fleet have already been deployed in France, while four more aircraft are arriving in Spain today. Additionally, emergency mapping is being provided to accelerate response efforts in both countries.
Spain's government declared a state of emergency on the evening of July 23 in communities near Madrid and the province of Avila due to the fires. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated, and over 100,000 hectares have burned this year. Sadly, 13 people have died as a result of the fires, making 2026 one of the deadliest seasons in decades.
In France, authorities have ordered the full evacuation of the municipality of Lège-Cap-Ferret in the Gironde department, where hundreds of people are leaving the peninsula by boat. President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as "very tense" on the evening of July 23, particularly in the Gironde region, where firefighters continue their battle against flames that have raged for days, and thousands of residents have already been evacuated.
