Wildfire in France forces 40,000 people to evacuate as crews battle record blazes across Western Europe

Updated on: July 24, 2026 / 6:48 AM EDT

/ CBS/AFP

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Paris, France — Luggage-clad residents and tourists fled the French peninsula of Cap Ferret by boat and the smell of smoke drifted into parts of Spain's capital Madrid on Friday as wildfires swept through multiple parts of western Europe, triggering states of emergency and calls for EU help.Some 40,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France due to a fire that has ravaged more than 25,000 acres, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told AFP, calling the blaze "the largest fire of the season." "As I speak, gradually, 40,000 people have either been evacuated or are currently being evacuated," he said, stressing that there have been no reported casualties so far. "A total of 80 homes have burnt, around 50 of which have been completely destroyed."

Holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret carry their belongings along the pier upon their arrival in Arcachon during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula, in southwestern France, July 24, 2026, due to a wildfire spreading across the area.