Wildfires trigger mass evacuations across France and Spain
Out-of-control blazes in south-western France and central Spain have forced tens of thousands to flee. In France, flames swept through the Cap Ferret peninsula, injuring 42 firefighters. Meanwhile, Spain declared a historic national emergency as blazes threatened to merge near Madrid and Ávila.
By Sertac Aktan with AP, AFP
Published on 24/07/2026 - 20:14 GMT+2
In France, 67,000 residents fled as wildfires swept through the tourist peninsula of Cap Ferret on the Atlantic coast.
The main blaze, active since Wednesday near Cap Ferret (60 kilometres from Bordeaux), has consumed 125 square kilometres. Around 1,500 people escaped the peninsula by sea, arriving in Arcachon aboard water taxis and ferries.
In total, 44,000 people were evacuated in the Gironde department, where 53 homes and a campsite were destroyed and 42 firefighters injured, while 23,000 were evacuated in the neighbouring Landes department due to an uncontained 25-square-kilometre blaze further south.
"It’s quite impressive and even frightening," said Laurent Moretti, a resident of Arès. "An evacuation on this scale has never happened before. All we really hope is that the firefighters can quickly get it under control."
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that France has 32 active wildfires, with over 50,000 hectares burned since January, nearly triple last year's total.
In Spain, the government declared a national emergency for wildfires for the first time. A heatwave bringing temperatures above 39°C and high winds has fanned multiple blazes.
Two major fires west of Madrid merged into a single blaze, charring 30 square kilometres and prompting the evacuation of 18,000 people. Nearby in Ávila, a blaze consumed 90 square kilometres, forcing 1,500 people to flee.
Authorities later ordered the evacuation of 7,000 more people from two new localities west of Madrid. In total, around 40,000 people in the Madrid region have been evacuated or told to remain indoors. Firefighters continued attempting to extinguish Spain’s second-largest recorded fire in Guadalajara, which has destroyed 320 square kilometres over the past week.
Spanish police arrested one man in Castilla y León for starting a fire using farm machinery during a ban, with a second person under investigation.
Wildfire analyst Raúl Quílez noted that climate change and rural land abandonment have left villages exposed, creating a "perfect cocktail" for severe blazes.
International assistance and broader impact
Both nations have requested European Union assistance. France will receive aerial reinforcements from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Spain is receiving four water-dumping aircraft deployed by Italy and Greece, along with support from the Copernicus satellite system.
Wildfires also continue to affect Sicily, where temperatures over 40°C resulted in scattered evacuations and claimed the life of a firefighter in Caltanissetta.
