French police arrest man stealing 44 wine bottles during horror wildfires

A search of his vehicle uncovered the haul of premium wine concealed inside.

The man, who was already on the police's radar, was subsequently placed in custody on suspicion of burglary.

Authorities have been forced to tackle a wave of opportunistic break-ins as more than 270,000 residents have abandoned their properties, leaving homes across the fire-ravaged region empty and vulnerable to criminals seeking to exploit the crisis.

The wildfire emergency has forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands, with two massive blazes tearing towards Bordeaux and its population of nearly one million.

Firefighters tackling the fires in the Gironde area have been described as "overwhelmed," with officials acknowledging they remain "far from" bringing the situation under control.

Preparations are under way for a potential full-scale evacuation of Bordeaux itself, as unpredictable fire whirlwinds drive flames erratically towards the city.

Local official Sophie Brocas has urged holidaymakers to avoid the area entirely, warning those already in the region to consider leaving.

The blazes, fuelled by bone-dry conditions and powerful winds, have forced residents and tourists to abandon the popular coastal resort of Cap Ferret in large numbers since Friday as the fires intensified.

"We urge tourists not to come to this region, at least until the situation is under control," Ms Brocas said. "I encourage tourists who are already here to consider another destination."

The head of Gironde's firefighting operations, Sebastien Berge, described the extraordinary challenges posed by the scale of the infernos.

"When there's a fire of this magnitude, it creates its own weather pattern…it's difficult to monitor," he said. "Especially when there's a fire front that stretches for more than 20km (12.5 miles)."

The unpredictable behaviour of the blazes, which generate their own erratic wind patterns and fire whirlwinds, has made containment efforts exceptionally difficult for crews already stretched beyond capacity across the region.

Across France and Spain combined, more than 300,000 people have been driven from their homes by fires raging amid tinder-dry conditions and fierce winds.

The French military has been called in to support overstretched firefighting teams battling the blazes.

Thousands of displaced residents in the Gironde area have been forced to take shelter in an exhibition hall, enduring an anxious wait for news about whether their properties have survived.

In Spain, where a national emergency has been declared, more favourable weather has aided crews fighting merging fires on the outskirts of Madrid, though Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned that "complex times" lay ahead.