Mark Carlson, Emma da Silva and John LeicesterJul 26, 2026 – 7.50amLege-Cap Ferret, France | France sent a hulking military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as it battled raging wildfires on Sunday AEST and slashed the final stage of Tour de France to redeploy security personnel to the blazes that forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.The latest wildfires in southern Europe this week have displaced more than 250,000 people, including some 70,000 people who were evacuated in central Spain. One man died in Manises, the municipality reported on social media, the first death so far in the blazes.APSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles