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yesterday

Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Wildfires Spread in France and Spain

The scale of evacuations and emergency declarations signals that heat, drought, strong winds, strained local resources, cross-border aid needs overwhelm national firefighting capacity.

Image
A view of a wildfire spreading over the Burgohondo mountains, in Avila, Spain July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ana Beltran
Beach goers sit on the beach of Moutchic in Lacanau, southwestern France on July 24, 2026, as clouds of smoke rise into the sky from a wildfire. The fire raging in the northern part of the Arcachon Basin in Gironde, southwest France, has swept through more than 3,400 hectares, according to the latest figures released by the prefecture. More than 20,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated from this part already devastated by flames in 2022. Scientists have long warned that climate change caused by human use of fossil fuels will make periods of drought more intense and longer-lasting, creating the ideal conditions for wildfires. (Photo by Maximilien LAMY / AFP)
Firefighters spray water on a burning forest close to a residential area during a wildfire near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France, on July 23, 2026. A highly virulent wildfire has swept through more than 3700 hectares since July 22, 2026 near the Arcachon Basin (Gironde), where nearly 20,000 residents and tourists have been evacuated in total from this area of the Landes de Gascogne forest, already devastated by flames in 2022. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • French authorities ordered mass evacuations on Friday as a fire that began near Saumos spread to the Cap Ferret peninsula, forcing roughly 40,000 people from the Gironde and tens of thousands more in neighbouring departments and tourist campsites.
  • Spain declared a national emergency for wildfires for the first time to centralise response and protect towns west of Madrid after multiple blazes merged and large evacuations were ordered.
  • The largest active blazes have already burned tens of thousands of hectares, with the Guadalajara fire in central Spain estimated at about 32,000 hectares and French officials saying Cap Ferret has exceeded 10,000 hectares.
  • The European Union has mobilised aerial and crew reinforcements, including water‑bombing planes and heavy‑lift helicopters supplied by several member states, to supplement hundreds to thousands of local firefighters on the ground.
  • Investigations into causes are under way as officials cite a mix of likely accidental ignitions and suspected criminal starts, while ministers warn that record heat, prolonged drought and strong winds — conditions amplified by climate change — are worsening the season and raising risks to communities and infrastructure.