Severe wildfires have reached just 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the southwestern French city of Bordeaux.

Thomas Cazenave, the city’s mayor, has warned that conditions could deteriorate further, and large-scale shelter arrangements are being made to mitigate risks.

This is according to a BBC report.

Visiting the affected region, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that this is the country's most devastating wildfire since World War II.

He noted that high temperatures and strong winds mean the situation remains hazardous.

To date, over 220,000 people have been evacuated to safety across France.

In the Gironde department alone, approximately 42,000 hectares of land have burned, and 240 homes have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, severe wildfires are also ongoing in neighboring Spain.

In the western region of Madrid, over 100,000 people have been evacuated due to the fires.

Nearly 27,000 hectares of land have burned, and the fire is not yet fully under control.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that since the beginning of the year, more than 116,000 hectares of land have burned nationwide, with over 13,500 wildfire incidents recorded.

According to him, 9 out of every 10 wildfires are caused by human negligence or intentional arson.