Prateek Tanmay
4 min readNew DelhiJul 24, 2026 11:23 PM IST
Nearly 30,000 people have been evacuated from parts of France and Spain as devastating wildfires, because of the heatwave sweeping southern Europe, continue to spread quickly, according to The Guardian. Researchers have warned that soaring temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds are creating dangerous conditions, leading to wildfires. Emergency services are now struggling to contain multiple blazes.
The crisis comes as a severe marine heatwave grips the Mediterranean Sea. Climate researchers warned that “Dantesque” wildfire scenarios cannot be ruled out if extreme weather persists. A marine heatwave is declared when sea surface temperatures reach abnormally high levels.
France has requested assistance from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to tackle a major wildfire near its Atlantic coast, where the blaze has forced the evacuation of more than 18,800 people, including thousands of tourists staying at campsites and holiday homes.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the situation remained “extremely tense”, particularly in the Gironde region of southwestern France. He announced that Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia would send firefighting aircraft and helicopters to support French authorities.
People watch massive plumes of smoke caused by wildfires in Le Porge, western France. (Source: AP)
The wildfire, which began in a dense pine forest near Saumos, about 40 km west of Bordeaux, has already scorched more than 3,700 hectares in just over a day. While no fatalities have been reported, several homes have been destroyed.
More than 800 firefighters, backed by water bombing aircraft, are battling the blaze. However, officials said the fire remains unstable and continues to threaten nearby residential areas.
Spain emergency
Spain has declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and the neighbouring province of Ávila after several wildfires burned out of control.
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Around 10000 people have been evacuated, with the country’s military emergency unit deployed to assist firefighting operations, The Guardian reports.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government had mobilised all available resources to combat fires affecting Ávila, León, Toledo, Madrid and several other regions, urging residents to remain vigilant and follow evacuation orders.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), nearly 125,000 hectares have burned in Spain so far this year, compared with 393,000 hectares during the whole of last year.
A wall of flames advances as a wildfire burns near Burgohondo, in Ávila province, Spain. (Source: AP)
Spain has experienced high temperatures, with Cieza in the Murcia region recording 44.7°C on Thursday. Several cities, including Albacete, Ávila and Teruel, also registered their hottest July temperatures on record earlier this week.
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Meanwhile, around 80% of the Mediterranean Sea is experiencing a marine heatwave, with sea surface temperatures in some areas reaching nearly 5°C above the 1991-2020 average.
European wildfire data shows this year’s fire season is already among the worst on record for this time of year. France has recorded its largest area burned, while both France and Spain have registered record numbers of wildfires.
Climate change
France has endured three major heatwaves since May, with scientists linking increasingly frequent and intense heat events to climate change.
Authorities warned that hot, dry conditions and strong winds continue to hamper firefighting efforts, raising fears that the blazes could intensify further in the coming days.
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The Gironde region witnessed a similar disaster in 2022, when wildfires burned more than 30,000 hectares and forced around 50,000 people to flee. Officials say the latest blaze, driven by tinder-dry forests and powerful winds, has already produced flames reaching up to 10 metres high.
