Hundreds flee French peninsula by boat to escape wildfire

Hundreds fled by boat from the Cap Ferret peninsula in western France on Friday after authorities ordered it evacuated due to a wildfire advancing rapidly. City officials said boats had transported more than 400 people so far from the area along France’s Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux. The blaze near a major wine region has already consumed land estimated at roughly one and a half times the size of Manhattan, as multiple fires continue during the peak summer vacation period. French authorities ordered thousands of tourists to leave campsites and holiday homes, with firefighters supported by water-bombing planes. President Emmanuel Macron said France invoked the EU civil protection mechanism and warned the crisis remained “very intense,” while satellite data from EFFIS showed EU burn totals this year are the second-highest on record.