Spain, France battle out-of-control wildfires as more than 250,000 evacuate

• More than 250,000 people have been evacuated as out-of-control wildfires continue to sweep across Spain and France, prompting mass evacuations and a Europe-wide emergency response.

More than 250,000 people have been evacuated across Spain and France as massive wildfires continued to burn out of control on Saturday, forcing authorities to prioritize saving lives while firefighters battled some of the worst blazes in recent history.

No fatalities have been reported in either country, but officials warned that changing weather conditions and strong winds continue to hamper efforts to contain the fires.

Madrid shrouded in smoke as fires spread

In Spain, thick gray smoke blanketed Madrid as flames consumed up to 25,000 hectares west of the capital.

A layer of black ash settled over rooftops in neighborhoods north of the city center, while smoke enveloped the historic El Escorial monastery. Residents were forced to keep their windows closed due to the heavy smell of smoke.

Firefighters worked through the night to battle what local authorities described as the region's "worst fire in history."

"There are fires every summer, but this one was terrifying," said Mar Nicolas, mayor of Brunete, one of the towns affected by the blaze.

Sanchez: Saving lives is the priority

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government's immediate priority was "saving lives and protecting populated areas."

He cautioned that extinguishing the fires would remain difficult despite a drop in temperatures.

"Temperatures have fallen, but we do not yet know exactly how the winds will evolve or how strong they will become," Sanchez said.

Spain's Interior Ministry said more than 70,000 people had now been evacuated from the Madrid region, an increase of 25,000 from earlier estimates.

Regional authorities also confirmed that more than 1,200 elderly and disabled residents were evacuated on Friday from hospitals and care homes.

Madrid regional leader Francisco Martin Aguirre warned that Saturday would be "difficult" because of erratic winds but expressed cautious optimism, citing higher humidity and cooler temperatures that could improve firefighting conditions.

Meanwhile, two major wildfires merged on Friday into a single massive blaze that was approaching a third fire in the Castilla y Leon region.

France orders mass evacuations near Bordeaux

France is also battling severe wildfires, particularly around Bordeaux and the southwestern regions of Gironde and Landes.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an emergency crisis meeting on Saturday and ordered the deployment of an A400M military transport aircraft equipped for aerial firefighting, bringing forward its planned operational use.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 167,000 people had been evacuated from areas near Bordeaux and Gironde, while another 30,000 people left the neighboring Landes region.

Authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination near Bordeaux, by both land and sea.

However, Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said evacuating the city itself was "not under consideration," despite the fires advancing to within several dozen kilometers of the city.

Residents describe chaotic escape

Thousands of evacuees have been housed at Bordeaux's exhibition center after fleeing nearby communities.

"We arrived around 9 p.m. yesterday after spending nearly four hours in traffic," said 70-year-old retiree Frederic Tafitian.

"We were told at 3 p.m. that we had to leave. We saw columns of smoke like a volcano about to erupt, so we left."

European Union mobilizes support
Spain activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and requested four additional firefighting aircraft.

Greece responded by deploying two Canadair water-bombing aircraft, while the European Commission said it had stationed four firefighting planes in Spain and three in France to support national emergency services.

Record-breaking wildfire season

French authorities described the current blazes as the country's "largest fires of the season," saying they have burned more than 40,000 hectares, roughly four times the size of Paris, and destroyed at least 100 buildings.

Nunez said nearly 98,000 hectares have burned across France since the beginning of the year, calling the figure "unprecedented."

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), wildfires have scorched more than 393,000 hectares in Spain since 2025, marking the country's worst wildfire toll in modern history.

France has also recorded a record wildfire season, with about 69,473 hectares burned since the start of 2026, surpassing the previous record set in 2022. This July has become the country's worst July for wildfires since records began in 2006.

Heatwaves fuel extreme fire conditions

Authorities in both countries attributed the devastating fires to prolonged drought and successive heatwaves that have affected Western Europe since June, leaving forests exceptionally dry and highly flammable.

Wildfires have also spread to northern Europe. In Scotland, firefighters are battling a blaze in Cairngorms National Park, where authorities have declared a "major incident" and urged residents to evacuate the area.

Despite the scale of the disaster, no deaths have been reported in Spain or France as of Saturday.