Exhausted emergency crews have contained a catastrophic 42,000-hectare megafire near Bordeaux that forced the evacuation of 200,000 people.

George and Amal Clooney left their Brignoles residence as a wildfire roared through the Var department, joining thousands affected by a continent-wide heatwave.

French firefighters are locked in an unprecedented battle against a raging wildfire in the Gironde region as the monster blaze creeps toward Bordeaux, forcing nearly 260,000 evacuations.

Massive wildfires are advancing toward Bordeaux, triggering mass evacuations and straining emergency services across France and Spain.

Massive wildfires in France and Spain have forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate as emergency services battle unprecedented blazes near Bordeaux and Madrid.

A large forest fire near Bordeaux forced over 20,000 people to evacuate as firefighters worked to contain the blaze amid strong winds and high temperatures. No casualties have been reported following the fire, which officials believe may have been started by a machine.