Wildfires in Spain and France force evacuation of 200,000 people

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP and AP, reported on July 25, 2026, that major wildfires in France and Spain have driven nearly 200,000 people from homes, suburbs and holiday areas. The outlet said France has sought international assistance, including from the European Union, while Spain has declared a national emergency as firefighters confront fires near Madrid and in the country’s central regions.

In Spain, emergency crews were trying to contain fires west of Madrid, where smoke covered the sky and shifting winds raised fears of further spread. Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government’s emergency management chief, said a blaze near the capital had exceeded firefighters’ ability to contain it at that point. Al Jazeera reported that two fires merged Friday into a much larger one, with concern it could connect with another fire in neighboring Castilla y Leon. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was expected to attend an emergency planning meeting in Cenicientos, a village within the affected zone.

In France, authorities ordered evacuations from suburbs near Bordeaux, including Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac, as fires continued in the surrounding region. The report said about 44,000 people left the Cap Ferret peninsula, a resort area south of Bordeaux, where the single access road was threatened and boats helped move some evacuees. More than 50 homes there were reported destroyed.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said more than 141,000 people had been evacuated from the Gironde and Landes regions, while officials reported 25,000 evacuations around Madrid, including elderly and disabled residents. The disaster comes amid repeated European heatwaves and severe drought conditions that scientists have linked to increased wildfire risk.