BBC South presenter Jo Kent is on holiday with her family in France, staying at the Lesley Pastourelles campsite in the village of Claouey, next to Lège.

She said multiple people at the campsite who were very anxious about the situation had already left, and those staying have been warned to be prepared to evacuate.

The main road down to the south of the peninsula, which is normally filled with “nose to tail traffic”, is empty and the supermarket is “unnervingly quiet”, Kent added.

In the Var region in south-east France, evacuated residents were told they could go home to assess potential damage to properties on Thursday morning. However, it warned people to limit their movements in the area due to the risk of the fire re-igniting as the wind picks up through the afternoon.

Several French departments have been ravaged by wildfires during a series of unusual and prolonged heatwaves that have swept across Europe this summer.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez paid tribute to the two firefighters who died on Tuesday near Bordeaux airport. He posted photos from an event on Wednesday, saying the moment was filled with “immense emotion” as he expressed “infinite gratitude” and “unwavering support” to their families.

Madrid has also been impacted by fires, but overnight most evacuated residents were told they can return to their homes – with the exception of one area in Villa del Prado.

A fire nearby is still burning, and almost 90 personnel and a helicopter have been deployed to get the flames under control. Local authorities continued to warn of an “extreme risk of fires” on Thursday morning.

Spain’s weather service AEMET said temperatures of up to 36C are forecast for the afternoon.

Countries across Europe have seen record temperatures in recent months.

A report released in April by the Copernicus Climate Change Service found at least 95% of Europe saw “above average” annual temperatures in 2025 and identified Europe as the fastest-warming continent.

Wildfire-burnt area and fire emissions both reached record levels last year, the report said.