France and Spain battle record wildfires, over 300,000 evacuated

Published Jul 30, 01:10 PM UTC

France and Spain are experiencing their largest wildfires on record in July 2026, driven by extreme heatwaves and drought conditions. In France, fires in the Gironde region near Bordeaux have destroyed 42,000 hectares (four times the size of Paris), forcing over 200,000 evacuations. The fires, which started near the village of Saumos, created a rare pyrocumulonimbus weather phenomenon. French President Emmanuel Macron called it the toughest situation since WWII. In Spain, a merged wildfire in Ávila and Madrid destroyed 77,000 hectares, the country's largest ever, with 100,000 evacuated. Spain's fourth heatwave began July 29, bringing dangerous '30/30/30' conditions. Both countries mobilized extensive firefighting resources, including EU civil protection assistance, with France using an Airbus A400M for the first time. Political cooperation has been notable in Spain's response.