Wildfires force mass evacuation of 260,000 across France and Spain, burn record area

Scale of the disaster

The fires have already destroyed nearly 98,000 hectares in France since January, a figure interior minister Laurent Nuñez called a "historical record". In Spain the toll is even higher: 126,000 hectares burned between 1 January and 25 July, five times the 24,133 hectares recorded in the same period of 2025, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The number of major fires stands at 32, far above the decade average of nine for January through July. In both countries, multiple blazes remain uncontrolled.

Evacuations and human cost

Around 260,000 people were forced to flee their homes or holiday spots. In France, the interior minister said it was "very likely" the largest civilian evacuation operation ever carried out in the country outside of a conflict. The Gironde department alone saw 167,000 evacuees, while 30,000 were displaced in neighbouring Landes. Another 2,000 stayed evacuated in Var, where a fire had swept through 4,000 hectares over five days. In Spain, 70,000 residents left the affected zones, with 25,000 new departures in the Madrid region on Saturday.

One person died in a fire near Valencia, Spain, according to the Manises town hall. In France, two firefighters were killed on Tuesday while tackling a blaze close to Bordeaux airport, and around 40 of the 1,000 personnel engaged at Cap Ferret were injured.

I don't know how long this will last. I don't know how my house is, if it has burned.

Fire conditions and weather outlook

Prime minister Sébastien Lecornu warned on Saturday afternoon that after a brief nighttime improvement the forecasts had again turned unfavourable.

After a slight improvement last night and this morning, the forecasts are again unfavourable. The next few hours may be difficult.

In Gironde, prefect Sophie Brocas said 140 homes had been destroyed and urged the 167,000 evacuees not to return. She described the fire's virulence as having eased somewhat thanks to lower temperatures and higher humidity, but stressed that the threat remained "very serious". In Landes, 3,000 people were authorised to go back to Biscarrosse in sectors that were "completely stabilised", the prefecture stated. Meanwhile, in Var, rains were expected overnight.

Government and military response

President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media that in the hours when flames put the country to a severe test, "France reveals what it is: a united people, supporting each other", and promised to rebuild and repair. His Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, visited the fire zone west of Madrid and called for a state pact against the climate emergency, saying the immediate priority was "to save lives".

France deployed 1,000 soldiers and an A400M military transport aircraft equipped with a kit to drop 20 tonnes of fire retardant. The prime minister's office also promised 1.5 million masks to protect against smoke. Temporary shelters in schools and sports halls housed thousands of displaced residents and tourists. Both countries requested European Union assistance, and the European Commission sent four firefighting planes to Spain and three to France.