New Delhi, July 24 -- Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as major wildfires spread across southwestern France and central Spain, with some residents escaping by boat from France's Atlantic coast and Spain declaring a national emergency as firefighters struggle to contain multiple blazes.

Authorities in France and Spain evacuated an estimated 80,000 people on Friday as fires burned out of control across parts of the two countries. More than 60,000 people were evacuated in France, while around 20,000 were forced to leave their homes in Spain, according to reports.

The scale of the evacuations was particularly pronounced on the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination on France's Atlantic coast. A w...