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Evacuations across France and Spain topped 166,000 on Friday as unprecedented wildfires raged near Madrid and Bordeaux, forcing tens of thousands from their homes, triggering arrests and prompting additional European firefighting support.
More than 141,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France, while about 25,000 people have fled or remain under protective orders in the Madrid region as firefighters continue battling fast-moving blazes fueled by strong winds and drought.
The EU separately deployed four specialized water-bombing aircraft to Spain and three to France after both countries requested assistance.
Spanish police arrested a man accused of igniting a large wildfire by operating farm machinery despite a ban imposed because of the extreme fire risk.
Another person remained under investigation over the same incident after authorities described the blaze as the result of a "seriously negligent act."
The Spanish government also declared a national emergency after multiple wildfires threatened communities near Madrid and in the neighboring province of Avila, placing the Interior Ministry in charge of coordinating the response under the National Civil Protection System.
Authorities said the measure was needed because several major fires were burning simultaneously, stretching emergency resources.
Officials warned that a massive wildfire near Madrid was close to merging with another blaze in neighboring Castilla y Leon, raising fears that the combined fire front could become even harder to contain.
At least 43 homes have been destroyed in one residential area as firefighters continue battling the advancing flames.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is due to visit the emergency coordination center near Madrid on Saturday after saying the government had deployed "all available resources" to combat the fires.
France's largest wildfire, burning near Arcachon Bay and the Cap-Ferret peninsula southwest of Bordeaux, has scorched more than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) and forced the evacuation of the entire peninsula, where more than 50 homes have been destroyed.
Around 40 firefighters have been injured while battling the Cap-Ferret blaze as roughly 1,000 personnel, backed by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, continue efforts to contain the fire.
Another major wildfire near Biscarrosse in neighboring Landes has burned more than 2,600 hectares, forcing thousands more residents and tourists to evacuate as strong winds and possible dry thunderstorms threaten to worsen conditions.
President Emmanuel Macron called on the military to help contain the worst wildfire France has ever experienced after requesting additional European Union assistance. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting of senior ministers as the fires continued to spread.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France was battling 32 active wildfires and warned the country had "never before seen this type of fire on this scale," pledging to do everything possible to protect Bordeaux.
France activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, with Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia sending aircraft and helicopters to reinforce firefighting operations.
Three firefighters have died battling wildfires in France and Italy this week, including two near Bordeaux airport and one in Sicily.
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