Unprecedented wildfires forced the evacuation of more than 160,000 people in France and Spain on Saturday, tearing through forests near Madrid and Bordeaux.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the army to mobilize after seeking EU assistance, as officials warned the blaze was advancing toward Bordeaux. Authorities evacuated towns “as a precaution,” while traffic alerts urged drivers to avoid the area to clear routes for emergency services.

Around 44,000 people fled the Cap Ferret peninsula, a wealthy enclave south of Bordeaux, where “more than 50 houses have been destroyed” and boats ferried residents away from the flames.

In total, 141,000 people were evacuated in southwestern France and 25,000 in Madrid, including over 1,200 elderly and disabled residents. Spanish emergency chief Carlos Novillo said the fire near Madrid was “at its peak and currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain.”

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted the country had “never before seen such fires on this scale” and pledged to protect Bordeaux.

EU reinforcements included seven water-bombing planes, while France deployed 1,000 military personnel and distributed 1.5 million FFP2 masks to shield residents from smoke.

The fires have already scorched 22,000 hectares in France and 32,000 hectares in Spain, with Italy also battling blazes in Sicily. Climate experts warn that repeated heatwaves and drought linked to human-driven climate change have intensified wildfire risks across Europe this year.