Wildfires force evacuation of over 375,000 in France and Spain as Bordeaux threatened
Story Timeline
10 days · 9 summary articles
Over 375,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain due to wildfires that are threatening the city of Bordeaux. As of July 27, 2026, the fires are approximately 15 kilometers from Bordeaux, according to reports from the French Interior Ministry.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation as "unprecedented" and stated that the fires have generated their own winds, making them unpredictable. French President Emmanuel Macron has called a crisis meeting to address the situation. The meeting is scheduled for Monday morning, according to a spokesperson for the Élysée Palace.
In France, over 220,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde region, where fires have burned more than 42,000 hectares of land—an area four times the size of Paris. At least 240 houses have been destroyed in the region, with many more damaged. The fires in Gironde are the largest in France since World War II, according to local officials.
In Spain, around 75,000 people have been evacuated from regions near Madrid and Valencia. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has stated that the fires are the most aggressive in Spanish history. The fires in the Avila region are the largest in the country's history, burning nearly 62,000 acres and affecting over 60,000 people, according to reports.
The fires have led to the closure of major highways and rail lines in the affected regions. In France, the A63 highway and rail lines south of Bordeaux have been closed. In Spain, the fires have disrupted transportation in the Madrid and Avila regions.
Firefighters, soldiers, and police officers are working to contain the blaze, with support from volunteers. In France, approximately 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 soldiers, and 1,200 police officers are involved in the effort. The fires have created a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, a phenomenon that generates its own weather system, according to Éric Brocardi, a spokesperson for the French Firefighters National Federation.
Authorities have warned that the situation could worsen with the arrival of another heatwave expected on Tuesday. Officials are urging residents and tourists to stay vigilant and follow evacuation orders. In Gironde, authorities have asked tourists to avoid the area and consider other destinations.
In Spain, the fires in the Avila region have burned over 50,000 hectares, making it the largest fire in the country's history. Spanish authorities have stated that the situation remains complex, with nearly all wildfire fronts in the Community of Madrid and Avila province contained but not fully extinguished.
The fires have caused significant destruction and disruption, with officials in both countries working to manage the crisis. The situation remains critical, with firefighters battling to contain the blaze amid challenging conditions.
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Articles
Firefighters battle wildfire as tens of thousands evacuated near Bordeaux
news.yahoo.com · about 23 hours ago
Live: Macron to hold crisis cabinet meeting on Frances devastating wildfires French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a crisis cabinet meeting Monday on the wildfires spreading across southern France. Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit fire-hit areas in Valencia in the east of Spain, where firefighters are battling a new blaze that has forced thousands to flee their homes. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
france24 · about 23 hours ago
Spain wildfires burn nearly 62,000 acres, affect over 60,000 people Wildfires in Spains Madrid and Avila regions have burned nearly 25,000 hectares and affected more than 63,000 people, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has warned that the situation remains complex.
yenisafak · about 23 hours ago
EN DIRECT - Incendies en France : en Gironde, une situation «globalement stable au cours de la nuit» Les pompiers français affrontent de gigantesques incendies qui ont forcé plus de 325 000 personnes à fuir, près de Bordeaux, où les flammes sont à 15 km de lagglomération et la situation pourrait empirer à cause de la chaleur à venir mardi.
liberation · about 23 hours ago
Fire near Akamas placed under control A fire on Sunday at Koloni location on the border with the Akamas national forest park burned two hectares of wild vegetation. The fire started at 6.55pm and was placed under control at 7.30pm by nine forestry department firefighters with four fire engines. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
cyprus mail · about 23 hours ago
Waldbrände in Südeuropa weiter außer Kontrolle – Flammenmeer bedroht Bordeaux Die Waldbrände in Südeuropa sind noch immer außer Kontrolle. Im Südwesten Frankreichs bedrohen die Feuer inzwischen die Region um Bordeaux. Die Flammenfront liegt nur noch etwa 15 Kilometer vor der Großstadt. Über 260.000 Menschen mussten ihre Häuser verlassen.
welt.de · about 23 hours ago
Europe wildfires latest: Bordeaux Airport evacuates hotel zone with fires moving erratically towards city Wildfires in Europe have displaced around 300,000 people this week
independent · about 23 hours ago
Firefighters battle wildfires in Spains eastern Castellon province Wildfires in Spains Castellon region have burnt more than 4,300 hectares and forced 15,000 residents to evacuate.
aljazeera · about 23 hours ago
Brande nær Bordeaux har været stabile natten over
dr.dk · about 23 hours ago
DIRECT - Incendies en France et en Espagne : la situation se stabilise, mais la chaleur inquiète les pompiers Suivez les derniers événements concernant les terribles incendies en France et en Espagne. ...
la libre · about 24 hours ago
Thousands evacuated as fires creep towards Bordeaux while authorities scramble to fight flames near Madrid Tens of thousands remain evacuated as authorities continue to brave the flames in Frances Gironde region, near the iconic city of Bordeaux, as officials in Spain announce that fires near the capital Madrid are slowly being contained.
euronews · 1 day ago
Waldbrände in Frankreich und Spanien: Feuer in Südeuropa zwingen rund 300.000 Menschen zur Flucht Flammen sind bis auf 15 Kilometer an Bordeaux vorgerückt. Der Bürgermeister lehnt eine Evakuierung bisher ab. Auch in Spanien sind weiterhin Waldbrände außer Kontrolle.
die zeit · 1 day ago
Wildfire Smoke Chokes Skies in Spain and France Hundreds of thousands of people, residents as well as vacationers, were forced to evacuate or told to remain indoors.
new york times · 1 day ago
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires French prime minster Lecornu said the fires have reached a level that has never been seen before
independent · 1 day ago
🔥 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 Forests burn and villages empty as more than 325,000 people flee monster wildfires tearing through France and Spain, with firefighters struggling to contain flames stretching kilometres u.afp.com/SrBK
bluesky_AFP English · 1 day ago
Like the apocalypse: Narrow escapes of those left homeless by Spains wildfires Two major fires near Madrid merged into a single, rapidly spreading blaze
independent · 1 day ago
Firefighters battle to contain wildfires still burning near Bordeaux Wildfires in southwestern France are continuing to burn near the city of Bordeaux.
aljazeera · 1 day ago
Spain contains wildfire fronts as 121,000 remain affected Spanish authorities announced on Sunday that nearly all wildfire fronts in the Community of Madrid and Avila province have been contained, though over 121,000 people remain under evacuation orders or shelter-in-place directives as firefighters target remaining hotspots.
yenisafak · 1 day ago
Bordeaux under threat as France and Spain battle unprecedented wildfires The fire in southwest France was about 15 kilometres away from Bordeaux on Sunday, as authorities in France and Spain battled wildfires that have forced roughly 300,000 people from their homes across both countries. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation in Bordeaux as "unprecedented," while Spains Avila region suffered its worst blaze in recent history.
france24 · 1 day ago
Wildfires in France push crews to the brink More than 5,000 firefighters, military personnel, police officers and volunteers have been battling the ferocious blaze, which has forced one of the largest evacuations in Frances history u.afp.com/Sr2Z
bluesky_AFP English · 1 day ago
Nearly 170,000 evacuated as wildfires burn 74,000 acres in southwestern France Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Saturday that 167,000 people have been evacuated from Frances southwestern Gironde department as wildfires burned more than 30,000 hectares, warning that nearly 98,000 hectares have been destroyed nationwide in what he called a "historic record."
yenisafak · 1 day ago
Spain wildfires burn 111,000 acres, displacing 88,000 people The Spanish government said Saturday that raging wildfires in Madrid and Avila have consumed approximately 45,000 hectares and forced nearly 88,000 residents to evacuate or remain confined indoors, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that shifting winds and dry conditions continue to hamper containment efforts amid the fourth-worst fire streak since 1983.
yenisafak · 1 day ago
Europe burns as monster wildfires force hundreds of thousands to flee across France and Spain #Europe
mastodon bot · 1 day ago
Hundreds of thousands flee as fires rage in Spain and France
gdeltproject.org · 1 day ago
Ella Baron on the wildfires in France and Spain – cartoon
bluesky_The Guardian · 1 day ago
Back from Gironde: France 24s Luke Shrago gives firsthand account of fires As wildfires continue to ravage southwest France, forcing around 250,000 people from their homes in one of the countrys biggest peacetime evacuations, France 24s Luke Shrago has witnessed the crisis unfold firsthand. He joined us to share what hes seen on the ground.
france24 · 1 day ago
Wildfires in France drive 250,000 from their homes and creep toward wine city of BordeauxListen to article • 0:00 min LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — A raging wildfire in southwest France forced the evacuation of 55,000 people overnight Sunday, bringing the total forced out of their homes to a …#wine #Wine #europe-wildfires-mass-evacuations-gironde-bordeaux-france-spain
mastodon bot · 1 day ago
Incendies en Gironde, dans les Landes et le Var : la situation reste «très défavorable», selon Laurent Nuñez Près de «115 000 hectares ont été parcourus» à ce stade par des incendies depuis le début de lannée en France, ce qui est «tout à fait exceptionnel», «bien plus que ce quon a pu connaître par le passé», a annoncé ce dimanche soir le ministre de lIntérieur.
liberation · 1 day ago
Wildfires threaten Bordeaux as France, Spain battle blazes Wildfires advanced towards the outskirts of the historic French city of Bordeaux, at the heart of the countrys winelands, on Sunday as France and Spain battled blazes that have already forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. About 220,000 people have been evacuated in France, while in Spain more than 75,000 people have […]
in-cyprus · 1 day ago
Forced to Evacuate Amid Spain Wildfires, Residents Wonder if Their Homes Still Stand In central Spain, thousands of people sleep in shelters or in their cars, some of them evacuated multiple times ahead of the advancing flames, awaiting word on what they left behind.
new york times · 1 day ago