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Wildfires before heatwave
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said authorities had two crucial days to curb wildfires before a new heatwave hits western Europe, warning that “What we’re experiencing isn’t a succession of isolated events.”
“In short: Spanish and French authorities face two crucial days to bring wildfires under control before a new heatwave hits in western Europe”
In France, fires threatening the Bordeaux area were described as only 15 kilometres from entry points to the main metropolitan area of Bordeaux, while in Spain fires to the west of Madrid continued to rage as crews raced to subdue blazes before temperatures rise again later this week.
Authorities said about 220,000 people, including tourists and residents, have been evacuated in France, while further south in Spain about 100,000 people have been told to leave their homes or seek shelter.
In Spain’s Castellon province, fire chief Chevi Bolumar said the ground contains old ordnance from the Spanish Civil War that explodes when the flames reach the area, complicating firefighting efforts.
The scale of the summer’s wildfires also prompted a warning from Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska that “Today and tomorrow are absolutely crucial days” for tackling the wildfire before conditions worsen from Wednesday onwards.
Pyro clouds and evacuations
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the fire was “not contained” and warned, “I absolutely do not want to sound reassuring,” as officials said the danger had not passed despite the fire not spreading overnight.
In Spain, the State Meteorological Agency in Spain, AEMET, forecast another heatwave to begin on Wednesday and continue until at least Sunday, warning that the wildfire danger level would “continue to increase, reaching extreme levels.”
The Spanish Civil Guard released drone footage showing the Avila fire spreading quickly through dense forests, while Reuters and other outlets described the Bordeaux-area blaze as generating its own weather.
The Associated Press reported that the smoke column became a thunderstorm that generated lightning and ignited new fires beyond the original blaze, and the phenomenon was described as a pyrocumulonimbus.
In France, the mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, said the fire inched to within only around 9 miles from the wine-growing region’s metropolitan areas over the weekend, and CBS News reported at least 84 firefighters had been injured and more than 220,000 people forced to evacuate.
Economic and policy stakes
EU officials said wildfires could still be burning until early November, threatening a record-breaking year for the area of land burned, while Spain’s government said the 172,000 hectares of forested land burned this year was six times greater than the equivalent figure for 2025.
“Spain faces this Sunday (July 26, 2026) the largest wildfire in its recent history, with about 77,000 hectares burned across multiple fronts, while in France firefighters are confronting a 'firestorm' just 15 km from the outskirts of Bordeaux”
The European Commission’s lead official on the green transition, Teresa Ribera, said Europe was not prepared for the consequences of the climate crisis and told El País the commission would propose an adaptation strategy in October.
In France, Finance Minister Roland Lescure said the wildfires around Bordeaux delivered a shock to the regional economy, describing it as “It’s like a clap of thunder for an area which could have done without this.”
The Guardian reported that the Gironde fire had burned 42,000 hectares and that the interior minister Laurent Nuñez described it as “extremely intense and unpredictable … generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area.”
As the firefighting fight continued, the La Vanguardia account said the government framed the multiple fires as an economic blow and noted that of 12 Canadair water-bombers, only seven were operational, while EU air support was set to expand to nine aircraft and two helicopters.
