Wildfires in Spain and France force more than 250,000 people from their homes

According to an Al Jazeera report on Saturday, 25 July 2026, large uncontained wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 250,000 people from their homes and holiday resorts. Spain has declared a national emergency and France has appealed for international help.

Spain's interior ministry said the flames had ravaged nearly 10,000 hectares in the Madrid region and between 13,000 and 15,000 hectares in the neighbouring province of Avila, with a total of 70,000 people evacuated. Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government's emergency management chief, said the fire near the capital was at its peak and currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that the priority was to save lives and that complex hours lay ahead.

In France, authorities evacuated thousands of people from suburbs near Bordeaux on Saturday. Sophie Brocas, who heads the local administration of Nouvelle Aquitaine and the Gironde, said the areas of Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac were being cleared. The Bordeaux region is famed for its vineyards and the city is one of the main transport hubs for tourists heading to Atlantic coast resorts, so the crisis has struck at the height of Europe's summer tourism season.