Wildfires burn 8,000 hectares in Spain and new blaze hits southern France

Huelva fire spreads to 8,000 hectares

A wildfire that broke out on Thursday in Spain's Huelva province, north of the town of Niebla, had scorched roughly 8,000 hectares by Sunday. Niebla sits roughly halfway between Sevilla and the Portuguese border. Antonio Sanz, Andalusia's catastrophe protection commissioner, said the affected area doubled from about 4,000 hectares on Saturday, though not the entire zone had burned. On Saturday, Sanz had said the fire was being fanned by "constantly changing winds," making suppression considerably harder. The number of evacuees rose slightly to 474, but authorities said no settlements were in immediate danger.

Firefighting response in Spain

More than 500 personnel were deployed to the Huelva fire by Sunday, including 250 soldiers from an army emergency unit. They received aerial support from up to 26 firefighting aircraft and helicopters. Sanz described the blaze as remaining "complex" with a "difficult day" ahead for responders, but expressed growing confidence.

“But today we are somewhat more optimistic.”

The southern section of the fire was brought under control thanks to improving weather conditions.

Huelva (Spain)8,000

Castellon (Spain)400

Lozere (France)100

Huelva (Spain)

8000 ha

Castellon (Spain)

400 ha

Lozere (France)

100 ha

Data from the article text

Second fire in Castellón

Firefighters and soldiers also battled a separate wildfire in Castellón province in eastern Spain, where nearly 400 hectares were affected. Authorities evacuated a nearby community. Nationwide, 37 mostly smaller wildfires were active on Sunday, according to Spain's forest fire portal "Incendios Forestales." The Valencia region in the east and Castilla y León in the northwest were among the most affected areas.

New blaze in southern France

In southern France, more than 200 firefighters fought a fast-spreading wildfire in the Lozère department. The fire broke out around midday Sunday in the commune of Massegros-Causses-Gorges, about 140 kilometres northwest of Montpellier. By early evening it had covered more than 100 hectares, and two villages were evacuated as a precaution. Roughly 220 firefighters were on the ground, supported by five firefighting planes. The fire service requested additional reinforcements as the blaze continued to spread and could not be brought under control. Investigators believe the fire was likely triggered by a car that caught fire on a road. Fire commander Marc Toulouse said the area had "very much forest" and was "extremely dry."

Spain's severe wildfire season

Spain is experiencing an exceptionally severe wildfire season. Sara Aagesen, Minister for Ecological Transition, said nearly 200,000 hectares had been affected since the start of the year, with 40 large fires recorded in 2026 compared with 15 at the same point last year.

2026 (to 9 Aug)40

2025 (same period)15

2026 (to 9 Aug)

40

2025 (same period)

15

Data from the article text

“This shows the severity and the complexity of what we are going through in our country.”

Earlier this summer, fires across Spain forced thousands of people from their homes, particularly in the centre of the country. In July, a large fire burned in Ávila province near Madrid. A separate wildfire in the Andalusian province of Almería killed 14 people. Drought and consecutive heatwaves have severely dried vegetation across much of Southern Europe, and scientists cited in the articles say human-made climate change, through more frequent and intense heatwaves, has increased wildfire risk in the region.