Firefighters spray water along the edge of a forest during a wildfire near the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, in southwestern France on July 25, 2026. Photo: Julien De Rosa / AFP / Lehtikuva
International news
More than 300,000 people have fled their homes or holiday accommodation as major wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain, prompting one of the largest civilian evacuation operations in modern French history and the first nationwide wildfire emergency ever declared in Spain.
The largest fire remains in France's Gironde region, where flames have advanced towards Bordeaux after days of extreme heat, drought and strong winds.
Authorities said more than 220,000 people have now been evacuated from the area, while another 30,000 people left parts of the neighbouring Landes region. In Spain, more than 90,000 people have been evacuated from areas around Madrid, Ávila, Toledo and Valencia, with further evacuation orders issued during the weekend.
