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

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.

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.

A rapidly spreading wildfire in the Gironde department has necessitated the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from coastal towns and resorts.