Record wildfires displace over 300,000 across France and Spain amid extreme heat

Unprecedented wildfires have swept across southwestern France and central Spain in July 2026, forcing over 300,000 people to evacuate—marking one of Europe's largest peacetime evacuations since World War II. The crisis has tested continental disaster response systems and highlighted the accelerating impact of climate change on European fire seasons.

In Spain, a fire in Ávila province west of Madrid became the nation's largest on record, burning approximately 50,000 hectares. Two major fires near Madrid merged on July 24, eventually combining with additional blazes in neighboring provinces to scorch 77,000 hectares across central Spain. Spain's government declared its first-ever national wildfire emergency, mobilizing thousands of firefighters, military personnel, and police. By late July, Spain had recorded 172,000 hectares burned nationally—six times the area burned during the equivalent period in 2025. At least one death was confirmed in Manises, Valencia, with additional fatalities reported among firefighters.

In France, the Gironde region near Bordeaux experienced its worst fire emergency in decades. The main blaze consumed 42,000 hectares in less than four days, an area roughly four times the size of Paris, and advanced to within 15 kilometers of the city. French authorities evacuated more than 250,000 people, with 220,000 concentrated in Gironde—described as France's largest peacetime evacuation since 1945. France recorded over 115,000 hectares burned by late July, setting a historical national record. The fire created a rare pyrocumulonimbus—a "fire cloud" that generates its own winds and lightning, complicating suppression efforts. At least two firefighters died in France, with injuries reported among dozens more across both countries.

Both nations attributed the fires' severity to climate change, extreme heat, and prolonged drought. A series of heatwaves since May left vegetation exceptionally dry. France's meteorological service recorded June as the hottest on record there, averaging 3.8°C above normal with rainfall nearly 50% below average. Scientists note that Europe is heating twice as fast as the global average and that such record-breaking temperatures would be impossible without climate change. Forecasters warned that additional heatwaves in late July would further complicate firefighting efforts, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C in affected regions and no rain forecast.

Response involved thousands of personnel: approximately 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel, and 1,200 police in Gironde alone; similar mobilizations across Spanish provinces. Tactics included water-bombing aircraft (including an experimental A400M military transport), firebreaks carved by bulldozers and mechanical equipment, and controlled burns. The European Union coordinated assistance under its Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying aircraft and firefighting teams from 14 countries including Greece, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Croatia, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, and Turkey. Bordeaux Airport closed temporarily; major transportation routes were disrupted. Emergency shelters housed thousands in schools, gymnasiums, and exhibition centers. Authorities distributed millions of face masks to residents affected by smoke pollution.