Wildfires in southwest Europe: What we know so far

Lead

Wildfires have forced more than 325,000 people from their homes in southwestern Europe, with France and Spain bearing the brunt of what Al Jazeera describes as some of the worst fires in France since World War II. The blazes have coincided with a third heatwave in Europe this summer, according to The Hindu.

Both outlets report that over 325,000 people have been evacuated from France and Spain. Al Jazeera puts the figure at about 220,000 evacuees in France and 75,000 in Spain, with an additional 30,000 people in Spain ordered to shelter in place. The Hindu's reporting details evacuations in France, including 220,000 people ordered out by the Gironde prefecture, while Spanish authorities have evacuated nearly 89,000 people as a fire swept through the Valle de Iruelas nature reserve and merged with a separate blaze in Madrid, reaching into Toledo province.

Coverage Comparison

The two outlets agree on the scale of the crisis but present differing figures for the areas burned, and there is some divergence on the details of the events. Al Jazeera reports that the French Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, said about 115,000 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year. The Hindu reports a different figure, citing the EU's EFFIS satellite system for 69,500 hectares lost in France since January. In Spain, Al Jazeera cites EFFIS data that 119,458 hectares had burned as of July 22, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said more than 150,000 hectares have burned since January — six times the area destroyed during the same period last year. The Hindu reports that Spain's toll stands near 150,000 hectares for the same period, with the Avila-Madrid-Toledo fire alone damaging 77,000 hectares, according to the country's Environment Minister.

Both outlets report on the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds due to intense heat from wildfires — a phenomenon that can create dangerous weather conditions. The accounts also describe the response to the fires: France has deployed about 1,000 firefighters and a military aircraft carrying 20,000 liters of retardant, along with planes loaned by Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Spain has mobilized over 2,700 personnel, including a military emergency unit, and received planes from Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Turkey through the EU's civil-protection mechanism, according to The Hindu.

Key Claims

• More than 325,000 people have been evacuated from France and Spain due to wildfires, as reported by both Al Jazeera and The Hindu.
• A fire in France's Gironde department broke out near Saumos on July 22 and tore toward Lège-Cap-Ferret, forcing the evacuation of the Arcachon Bay area. By July 26, flames sat about 15 km from Bordeaux, as reported by The Hindu. The same source reports that a fire in Spain that began near Burgohondo had merged with a fire in Madrid and reached into Toledo province, with a perimeter of about 160 km by July 26.
• Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez declared a national emergency, as reported by Al Jazeera.
• Two French firefighters died near Bordeaux, a report carried by The Hindu only.
• Hundreds of people were evacuated from Italy's Adriatic coast, according to The Hindu.
• A wildfire in Spain's Andalusia region killed at least 12 people on July 10, as reported by Al Jazeera.
• Wildfires destroyed 2.2 million hectares of land in Europe in 2025, up from 1.4 million hectares in 2022, according to the United Nations, as cited by Al Jazeera.