Wildfires in France could reach Bordeaux wine region

Firefighters continue to battle raging wildfires in France's Gironde region

with blazes forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Winds are expected to shift later in the day driving flames towards Bordeaux.

This as Spain's military rescued livestock as a wildfire approached a farm

near the village of Robledo de Chavela.

A massive wildfire raging in southwestern France has pushed perilously close

to the city of Bordeaux, forcing a record 217,000 residents across the country

to flee their homes by Saturday as flames

continue to devour vast swaths of forestland.

Firefighters on the ground dousing flames

seemingly an overwhelming battle.

A military cargo plane, a giant A400M transporter

swooping low with its long plume of ochre-coloured

retardant trailing over the drought-hit woodlands.

Trying to prevent the flames from reaching the wine region city of Bordeaux.

Mark Carlson The Associated Press said

I'm west of Bordeaux near the village of Le Porge.

The fire came in here and ravaged homes.

In the distance you can see burned-out cars, everything

the forest burned and you can see the evidence shows

that it was rather quickly when the fire came through here at a high temperature.

Everything is burned. There's little left of anything

except for a little bit of green in the foliage of the tops of the trees.

There fires are serious.

Authorities expanded emergency efforts in Bordeaux

where the Parc des Expositions has been converted into an evacuation centre

for people forced to flee their homes.

And French military personnel supported relief operations

alongside healthcare workers assisting evacuees.

This as wildfires across Spain continue to cause concern as a new

blaze broke out in the eastern province of Castellon, Valencia.

There, fire has claimed the life of one person as

15,000 people had to be evacuated

near the Uixo Valley as forest fires swept towards their homes.

Firefighters in Spain say the blazes spread so fast and violently

that they could not be tackled head-on.

And members of Spain's Military Emergency Unit rescued livestock

as wildfires approached a farm near the village of Robledo de Chavela.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says more favourable weather Saturday

offered a window of opportunity for fire crews to bring the blazes under control.