France and Spain battle 'unprecedented' wildfires with over 320,000 evacuated; leaders warn of climate emergency as heat wave looms
A massive wildfire in south-west France, four times the size of Paris, threatens to intensify with rising temperatures and strong winds, as three firefighters died in Greece and over 330,000 were evacuated across France and Spain amid a severe heatwave and drought affecting southern Europe.
Wildfires in France's Gironde region force tens of thousands to flee as temperatures soar to 40°C, with firefighters and volunteers battling to contain the infernos.
Three Greek firefighters have died battling wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese, while Spain and France face a fourth heatwave with major wildfires. Over 207,000 hectares burned in Spain this year, with the Burgohondo fire near Madrid being the largest recorded.
A 21-year-old student, Yanis Sharif, rescued his aunt and two young cousins from their home in Saint-Jean d'Illac as toxic wildfires forced hundreds of thousands to flee southwest France.
Spain faces its fourth heat wave as crews battle wildfires that have devastated nearly 200,000 acres, with over 70,000 people evacuated, amid political debate over climate change's role.
A fourth firefighter, Nathan Matthews, 43, dies from injuries in a Colorado-Utah wildfire. Meanwhile, a large wildfire near Sisters, Oregon, threatens the city but is partially contained at 5% with evacuation efforts underway amid a summer of severe western U.S. blazes.
Wildfires in Spain and France have forced over 300,000 evacuations, with France reporting a record 242,000 acres burned this year and Spain declaring a national state of emergency.
Police in France evacuate a family as wildfires surge, with Bordeaux City Council considering a total evacuation of its 1.2 million residents due to advancing fires and high winds.
The Tour de France's final stage has been shortened to 89km, starting on the Champs-Elysees, due to wildfires in southwest France, diverting security forces. Over 267,000 evacuated across France and Spain.
Massive wildfires in France and Spain force over 250,000 evacuations, with intense heatwaves exacerbating uncontrolled blazes across Europe.
Thousands have been evacuated in southwest France and near Madrid as wildfires spread during one of Europe’s hottest summers on record. Officials in both countries are linking the crisis to extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds.
Tourists and residents in south-west France and central Spain have been evacuated as raging wildfires spread in extreme heat and wind. Authorities have deployed military and emergency resources while flights to Bordeaux and Madrid remain unaffected.
Wildfires in western France and central Spain have forced more than 250,000 people to evacuate, killed at least one man near Valencia, and killed three firefighters in Europe this week. EU aircraft, the French army and Spanish emergency services are being deployed as the blazes spread near Bordeaux and Madrid.
Over 100,000 people have been evacuated in Spain and France due to heatwave-induced wildfires, with a tractor driver arrested in Spain for allegedly sparking one of the blazes. The EU has deployed water-bombing aircraft to both countries.
Wildfires in France, Germany, Greece, Spain, and Portugal have emitted over 8.31 million tonnes of CO₂ by July 22, with a 57% rise in European wildfires since 2022. WHO Europe warns of more frequent and intense blazes due to climate change, highlighting severe health impacts from smoke pollution.
Massive wildfires continue to burn across parts of France and Spain, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands, including the entire Cap Ferret peninsula. Authorities in both countries have declared emergencies and France has requested assistance from European Union neighbors to combat the blazes.
Wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate or stay indoors, with Madrid declaring a national emergency and France evacuating Cap Ferret by land and sea.
Tens of thousands have fled wildfires in southwest France and Spain, with Spain declaring a national emergency as huge blazes merged outside Madrid. Searing heat has created tinder-dry conditions across Europe, straining emergency services and impacting crops and nuclear plant cooling.
Canada is experiencing over 900 active wildfires, scorching 3 million hectares, with significant concerns in the Northwest Territories and Ontario, causing poor air quality extending to Europe. Concurrently, Salta, Argentina, recorded its warmest-ever winter night at 26C, driven by the Zonda wind and potentially influenced by El Niño.
Donald Trump accused Canada of "poisoning" US air with wildfire smoke, threatening sanctions and tariffs, prompting incredulity from scientists. Experts assert the fires are a symptom of the climate crisis, exacerbated by policies Trump supported, not a lack of Canadian management.
Spain declared its first national emergency for wildfires, evacuating over 10,000 residents as an intense heatwave fuels destructive blazes. France also requested EU assistance for a major fire near Bordeaux, forcing 40,000 evacuations, highlighting southern Europe's escalating wildfire crisis.
Spain's government declared a national emergency due to wildfires in the central Madrid region, forcing 10,000 evacuations. Simultaneously, around 40,000 people fled blazes in southern France, described by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez as the largest of the season, ravaging over 10,000 hectares and destroying 80 homes.
French authorities have ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula and other areas, displacing tens of thousands as an "XXL fire" rages in Gironde. Spain has also declared a national emergency due to out-of-control wildfires near Madrid, with both nations battling extreme conditions.
