Wildfire leads to evacuations in some suburbs of the French city of Bordeaux

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — Authorities in France evacuated some suburbs of Bordeaux on Saturday as a massive wildfire shifted toward the city famous for its wines.

The prefect of the Gironde region that includes Bordeaux ordered the evacuation in the early hours of Saturday, covering parts of three of the city’s western suburbs, including its airport. Evacuations were also underway in other towns and villages further west of the city's immediate suburbs.

“As the fire continues to spread, and despite the significant resources deployed by firefighters, the situation requires the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to ensure their safety,” a statement from the prefecture said.

Massive forest fires have forced the evacuation of some 200,000 people in southwestern France and central Spain, with residents fleeing towns near Madrid and Bordeaux on Friday as flames raged out of control.

Firefighters and authorities in both European countries were caught off guard by the virulence of the fires, which were fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change. Firefighters in Spain admitted the fires were so fast and violent that they could not be tackled head on. In France, some people even fled by boat when flames swept through touristic towns on the Atlantic coast.

Some 141,000 fled homes in the Gironde and Landes departments in France, the French interior ministry said. In central Spain, 60,000 were forced from their homes west of Madrid, according to the Spanish interior ministry.

Dozens of French firefighters have been injured, authorities said, but no deaths were reported in either country despite the scenes of panic as townsfolk fled by car and police went door to door to tell people to leave as large plumes of smoke darkened the skies.

On Saturday, the Madrid regional government said the fires there decreased in intensity overnight as winds and temperatures dropped.

Spain’s Civil Protection Service said it was expecting the arrival Saturday of four more water-dumping aircraft — two from Italy and two from Greece — sent as part of a European Union response to the emergency. Firefighting aircraft from the Netherlands and Portugal are already deployed in Spain.

Gironde region prefect Sophie Brocas said on Friday night that strong winds from the west were pushing the fire closer to the Bordeaux metropolitan area and that it had grown to “an unprecedented magnitude.”

“The scale of the fire changed," she said. "To combat it, we will receive extremely significant national reinforcements. Reinforcements in firefighters, of course, reinforcements in military personnel, reinforcements in healthcare workers, reinforcements in experts. So, we are going to form a much larger team to face this extraordinary fire.”

People covered by the evacuation orders were being sent special alerts to their mobile phones, giving them instructions to leave.

“We want everyone to be quickly brought to safety. We must act quickly together,” Brocas said.

The blaze started on Wednesday near Cap Ferret peninsula on France’s Atlantic coast, located 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Bordeaux. On Friday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described it as "a large, self-sustaining fire that is extremely difficult to bring under control.”

“It’s quite impressive and even frightening,” said Laurent Moretti, a resident in the town of Arès. “An evacuation on this scale has never happened before. All we really hope is that the firefighters can quickly get it under control.”

Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press journalist Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed.

A resident sits at a bullring serving as a temporary shelter after being evacuated from their homes because of the threat of a wildfire in Valdemorillo, Madrid province, Spain, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Wildfires advance near Le Proge region, western France, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A water bomber drops water while fighting wildfires In Ares, western France, Friday July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A firefighter sprays water in a burning forest in the Lège-Cap-Ferret region, western France, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A seaplane drops water onto the fire as a wildfire advances near La Adrada, Ávila province, Spain, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Fiirefighters spray water in a burning forest in the Lège-Cap-Ferret region, western France, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

SPØTTRUP, Denmark (AP) — With swords, axes and shields, competitors from 30 countries are going head-to-head in the grounds of a Danish fortress in a modern version of old-fashioned battle.

The International Medieval Combat Federation's annual world championship roared into gear in northern Denmark this week. First staged in Spain in 2014, it features armor-clad competitors fighting with 14th-century medieval weapons. But it’s also a modern combat sport with safety rules and sporting conventions.

“It’s historically inspired,” combat federation spokesperson Kamila Studencka said. “It’s a mix of modern techniques with historical ones. We have something between full combat sports and fencing.”

And while the swords and axes are blunted, the battles are anything but harmless reenactments. Studencka said some competitors are attracted by “the violence,” while others prefer the technical aspects of face-to-face duels.

“Some people like the friendship and being a team member … to be a part of something bigger,” she added.

This year’s championship is being held in the shadow of Spøttrup Castle, a formidable Danish fortress that was completed around 1520.

The event has drawn fighters from 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Brazil.

Brazilian competitor Rodrigo Sinckevicius, who traveled with a team of eight from São Paulo, said he previously competed in jiu-jitsu and other mixed martial arts, but when he first saw this kind of medieval combat, he “couldn’t believe it.”

“People falling and grabbing and the sound of the steel cracking, it’s like something that you cannot fake,” added the 33-year-old, who works in sales back home.

The four-day championships, which opened Thursday, see competitors battle in one-on-one “duels” made up of two one-minute rounds each. Opponents are eliminated after hitting the ground three times or when they submit. If neither happens, marshals declare a winner based on points scored.

There are also chaotic mass-team events, known as “Buhurt,” in which up to 10 competitors on either side participate.

Martin Gill, from Milton Keynes, England, said he first got involved “to hit someone in the face with an ax.”

“This had that kind of niche appeal to it, that people were willing to consensually come up and say, ‘You can hit me in the face with the ax, as hard as you can,’” the 37-year-old geotechnical engineer said.

The IMCF says fighters wear thick, shock-absorbing padded garments beneath the armor to distribute the force of impact, and that fights are strictly controlled by trained marshals who enforce the rules of engagement. It says that overall injury rates are comparable to those in mainstream full-contact martial arts.

Gill said almost everything the competitors wear, including his 30-kilogram (66-pound) suit of armor, is historically accurate. Some outfits and fighting techniques are informed by the writings of 14th-century Italian knight Fiore Dei Liberi and German fencing master Johannes Liechtenauer.

“We follow manuscripts as best we can,” said Gill. “Everything is legitimate techniques from all of their writings throughout the 14th century.”

Nearly 600 fighters are taking part in this week's championship. The sport, an unflinching blend of mixed martial arts, fencing, and historical reenactment, has been growing in popularity.

Competitor Alex King, a 37-year-old financial crime specialist from Shoreview, Minnesota, said that when he first started three years ago, there were just 10 or so members in his local team. Now there are over 50.

“In America, it’s definitely growing, with the short videos you see now highlighting the sport,” King said. “A lot of people have become interested.”

The last big event in the U.S. featured over 40 teams, he added.

Men and women compete in separate events. Miisa Kaivos, a 27-year-old bartender from Helsinki, Finland, said the women’s side of the sport is also “drastically growing all around the world.”

“It’s amazing to see,” said Kaivos. “It’s always nice to come to these events and fight each other, and have that awesome girl power.”

A marshal checks a fighter following a battle at the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championship at Spottrup Castle, in Spottrup, Denmark, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Two fighters battle during the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championship at Spottrup Castle, in Spottrup, Denmark, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

A fighter from Italy awaits a battle at the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championship at Spottrup Castle, in Spottrup, Denmark, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Two fighters battle during the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championship at Spottrup Castle, in Spottrup, Denmark, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Two fighters battle during the International Medieval Combat Federation's World Championship at Spottrup Castle, in Spottrup, Denmark, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)