Forest fires in France and Spain: Bordeaux fire, mass evacuations and international aid - latest updates

Forest fires raged in France and Spain on Sunday (July 26), forcing the evacuation of more than 300,000 people as firefighters battled fast-moving blazes fueled by heat waves, drought and strong winds.

The historic French wine city of Bordeaux is facing one of the biggest wildfire threats in recent memory, while Spain has declared a state of civil protection as fires burn across multiple regions.

Here are the latest developments:

More than 300,000 evacuated

In France, authorities evacuated around 250,000 people, mainly from the Gironde and Landes regions in the southwest, while in Spain, around 76,000 people were evacuated. Another 30,000 Spanish residents were ordered to shelter in place.

Bordeaux is increasingly under threat

The largest forest fire in France remains concentrated in the Gironde region and has advanced to within 15 kilometers of Bordeaux.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the fire as “extremely intense and unpredictable”, saying it was generating its own winds and advancing erratically towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

Despite the threat, Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said there were no immediate plans to evacuate the city, although authorities remained on alert.

The fire has already burned about 42,000 hectares – roughly four times the size of Paris – and destroyed at least 240 homes.

A massive firefighting operation is underway

France deployed:

18 firefighting planes and helicopters

A specially modified A400M military aircraft capable of dropping water and fire retardant

Swiss firefighting team with the help of the European Union

Another large fire in the neighboring Landes region also forced tens of thousands of people to flee, while a separate fire in France’s southeastern Var region prompted nearly 3,000 precautionary evacuations.

Spain is battling several large fires

Spain continues to battle several large fires across:

Castellon (Valencia region)

A new fire near Valencia has prompted another 15,000 evacuations, while another fire has spread into the Sierra de Espadan Natural Park, home to extensive pine and cork oak forests.

Regional officials described the Castellon fire as “out of control” and warned that weather conditions remained very unfavorable.

A state of emergency is planned

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would declare a civil protection emergency for the worst-hit central provinces on Tuesday, freeing up more funds for reconstruction.

Although Sanchez admitted there were “difficult hours” ahead, he said authorities had made progress in containing some of the fires overnight.

More than 150,000 hectares have already burned in Spain since January, which is six times more than the area destroyed in the same period last year.

International help is coming

European countries have mobilized support under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Two Canadair firefighting aircraft from Greece

Two Canadair planes from Italy

Over 100 Portuguese soldiers and fire equipment

Two more planes are expected from Turkey

France also received aircraft and firefighting teams from several European partners.

Death and destruction

France has announced the deaths of two firefighters killed earlier this week while battling a blaze in the Gironde.

In Spain, an elderly man died near Valencia after becoming trapped in a separate forest fire, marking the country’s first civilian death in recent fires.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in France, thousands more remain at risk.

Climate change promotes extreme conditions

Scientists say the fires have been exacerbated by prolonged drought and repeated heat waves associated with climate change.

According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, average July temperatures in the Bordeaux and Avila regions were around 32°C, roughly 6-7°C above the historical average for the period between 1961 and 1990.

Dry conditions have made forests in southwestern Europe highly flammable, allowing fires to spread quickly in strong winds.

Pope Leo offers prayers

Speaking from Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, Pope Leo expressed solidarity with those affected in France and Spain.

“I would like to express my solidarity and closeness and I call on everyone to pray for those affected and for the rescuers involved in the relief efforts,” he said during his Sunday Angelus prayer.

(With inputs from AFP, Reuters, AP)

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