France Seeks EU Help as 23,000 Evacuated
France has activated the European Union's civil protection mechanism as wildfires rage along the Atlantic coast, with President Macron seeking urgent European reinforcements. France expects aerial aid from several EU partners, including two Canadair aircraft from Croatia, two Air Tractor planes from Portugal, and two heavy-lift helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the Gironde region, evacuations have surged, with more than 10,000 people evacuated overnight and authorities later signaling up to 23,000 in surrounding areas as fires threaten towns near Bordeaux. Emergency responders are deploying hundreds of firefighters as the blaze intensifies, underscoring the extreme heat and dryness fueling the season. Spain has declared a national state of emergency in Madrid and Ávila to coordinate response under the Military Emergencies Unit, while Sicily faces its own tense firefighting situation amid soaring temperatures. The crisis highlights a broad European struggle with climate-driven wildfires and the need for rapid cross-border cooperation to mobilize resources.