A third of a million evacuated across France and Spain

Since the fires began to spread last Wednesday, roughly 330,000 people have been driven from homes and vacation sites by huge wildfires across France and Spain.

Spain’s weather agency AEMET is warning that the risk of wildfires remains very high or extreme across much of the country.

Back-to-back heatwaves have suffocated Spain this summer, with temperatures repeatedly exceeding 40 Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The fresh heatwave was expected to mainly affect the northeast and parts of central Spain, while temperatures were pushing 40 Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several inland areas in the normally hot, southern Andalusia region.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 July 2026 10:57

North of Madrid faces extreme risk of wildfires

The north of Madrid is facing an extreme risk of fire, according to the government delegation in the region.

An orange heat alert has been issued for the Madrid area, with temperatures of 39C expected there.

Spain's interior ministry said there were 13 communities on alert due to the high temperatures.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 July 2026 10:25

Gironde fire created black thundercloud in a first for France

At its most violent, the Gironde blaze created a gargantuan black thundercloud, electrified and lit from within.

It generated lightning, violent winds and new fires beyond the original front.

The phenomenon, known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, was the first recorded in France.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 July 2026 09:50

Heatwave threatens to reignite France’s mega-fire near Bordeaux

The heatwave and forecast winds could hamper progress against the blaze that has forced 220,000 people from their homes, authorities for the Gironde region around Bordeaux said.

In a Wednesday morning update on the huge firefighting effort, Gironde authorities said the situation overnight had been “calm" and that the blaze hadn't spread — although it's still not contained a week after it started.

The onset of heatwave temperatures and winds heightened the risk of flames flaring again.

On Tuesday, Gironde authorities ordered 4,000 more people evacuated from tourist sites along the Atlantic coast, widening what may be France’s largest peacetime evacuation.

“The situation remains complicated. That’s clear. We’re not out of the woods,” Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said Tuesday evening.

But she also gave the go-ahead for 60,000 evacuees to return to their homes in three Bordeaux suburbs that haven't burned.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 July 2026 09:00

Watch: Firefighter’s helmet camera captures battle against France’s raging wildfires

Stuti Mishra29 July 2026 08:30

Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires

More than 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires continue to rage across Spain and France.

At least one man has been killed in Spain and dozens of others have been injured, including at least 68 firefighters in France.

Government officials from both countries have commented on the historic nature of the blaze, with Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso describing it as “the worst fire in the history of the region”.

Below we look at the areas affected and evacuated as a result of the wildfires.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain29 July 2026 08:15

France heatwave to peak today

France has warned that the latest intense heatwave hitting the country will peak today, as more towns near Bordeaux were evacuated in the face of raging wildfires.

Temperatures could reach up to 44C in some parts, according to Meteo France, while forecasters in Spain said the heatwave there is expected to continue until Sunday.

French authorities have ordered 4,000 more people to leave tourist sites along the country’s Atlantic coast, expanding what may be France’s largest peacetime evacuation as a vast wildfire west of Bordeaux raged.

Stuti Mishra29 July 2026 08:00

The air is unbreathable, say people forced to flee homes in Bordeaux

People caught up in the wildfires inching towards Bordeaux have described how they are struggling to breathe as smoke from the fires has forced them to flee their homes.

More than 200,000 people have been told to evacuate the area as firefighters battle in a race against time to contain the blaze, which burns within nine miles of the main metropolitan area.

Read more from James C Reynolds in Bordeaux.

Stuti Mishra29 July 2026 07:30

Wildfire response must evolve to keep pace with climate change, EU says

The European Union's response to wildfires needs more funding, greater focus on forest management and enhanced education about fire ⁠risk as the climate changes, the head of the bloc's crisis response said, as France and Spain battle deadly blazes.

Wildfires have forced unprecedented evacuations of tens of thousands of people across France and Spain, and torn through a region already battered by a blisteringly hot and dry summer.

"Climate change is ⁠accelerating. So our response must evolve just as quickly," ​Hadja ⁠Lahbib, the EU's Crisis Management Commissioner, told Reuters.

"We must prepare for risks before disasters strike, and not simply react afterwards."

Lahbib said it was not enough to just purchase more firefighting equipment, and that countries should also be investing more of their EU funding in forest management practices that reduce wildfire risk, and should better educate citizens on "what behaviour they absolutely must avoid", to reduce fire risk. Around 90 per cent of wildfires are started by human activities, such as campfires or discarded ‌cigarettes.

Stuti Mishra29 July 2026 07:00

Firefighters say they've never seen anything like Spain's record blazes

Spanish firefighter Javier García has never faced anything like the record blaze raging near Madrid in his two decades protecting woodlands and rural communities.

“This doesn’t have a precedent,” he said.

Read more:

Stuti Mishra29 July 2026 06:40