The European Union has warned that historic wildfires scorching France and Spain are pushing emergency response systems to the limit, forcing over 300,000 people to flee their homes.

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 tearing across southwestern Europe have forced over 300,000 people to flee their homes and holiday accommodations.

Spain has invoked national emergency powers to manage escalating wildfires as major evacuations also take place along France's Atlantic coast. These measures follow a series of summer heatwaves that have caused record-breaking fire damage across Europe.