Firefighters have become 'overwhelmed' and are 'concerned about the city of Bordeaux' as flames spread out of control in southwestern France.

About 800 firefighters and hundreds of gendarmes and soldiers deployed to battle the flames west of Bordeaux.

Over 166,000 evacuated as unprecedented wildfires threatened regions in France and Spain, prompting military and EU assistance.

Officials have described it as the ‘worst fire in the history of the region’