The Independent
·Jul 2026
More than 200,000 evacuated in France and Spain as wildfires tear through southern Europe
Wildfires in southwestern France and central Spain forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate, including about 141,000 in France and 60,000 in Spain. Fires near Cap Ferret and Saumos destroyed homes, campsites and extensive forest, while blazes near Madrid and in Ávila prompted further evacuations and Spain’s first national wildfire emergency declaration. Strong winds, extreme heat and drought complicated firefighting, with France receiving European aircraft and helicopters and Spain receiving Canadair planes from Italy and Greece. Fires also continued in Sicily, where a firefighter died, as officials linked increasingly severe blazes to hotter, drier conditions.