Overview
- More than 200,000 people have been evacuated from areas around Bordeaux and west of Madrid after multiple large fires grew rapidly and in places merged, stretching local firefighting capacity.
- Spain declared a national emergency after three major blazes near Madrid combined and officials said the fire front was beyond direct containment, forcing crews to adopt defensive measures.
- France mobilised about 1,000 soldiers to help in the Gironde and Landes regions, closed or disrupted transport links near Bordeaux, and used military aircraft including an A400M to drop retardant.
- EU member states have sent water-bombing planes, helicopters and specialist crews through the rescEU mechanism while Copernicus satellite mapping is being used to track burned areas estimated in the tens of thousands of hectares.
- Dozens of firefighters have been injured and authorities warn of ongoing health and infrastructure risks from heavy smoke, with investigations under way into possible causes including negligence and suspected arson.