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Heatwave fuels wildfires
Emergency services in the UK were braced for further wildfires as the country’s fourth heatwave loomed, with firefighters battling 19 significant wildfires simultaneously in England and Wales at the height of the third heatwave in mid-July.
“Wildfires threaten Bordeaux as France and Spain battle blazes By Manuel Ausloos and David Latona BORDEAUX/MADRID, July 26 (Reuters) - Wildfires advanced towards the outskirts of the historic French city of Bordeaux, at the heart of the country's winelands, on Sunday as France and Spain battled blazes that have already forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people”
In mainland Europe, a wildfire in France’s Gironde region forced the evacuation of 55,000 people overnight Sunday, bringing the total forced out of homes to 220,000 in one region alone, while Spain carried out evacuations on its east coast.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the situation remained very unfavorable, writing on X that the fire “became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area.”
NBC News reported that the blaze had burned an area four times the size of Paris and that an estimated 42,000 hectares (162 square miles) had burned in Gironde, much of it forests and scrubland made tinder-dry by successive heat waves.
Officials, forecasts, and quotes
In the UK, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) spokesperson said fire and rescue services remained on alert after the Met Office warning that a fourth heatwave could develop this week, and the NFCC added that “Most wildfires are preventable and we are asking everyone to play their part.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning of possible “significant impacts” on health and social care services, including a rise in deaths among the elderly or people with health conditions, and an increase in drownings.
In France, Gironde fire chief Marc Vermeulen compared the wildfire’s behavior to a hurricane, saying, “It’s like being confronted by a hurricane,” as the blaze developed into a self-feeding firestorm that generated lightning bolts.
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the priority was to “save lives” while warning that a “complex” fight lay ahead, as the government declared a national emergency and reported 70,000 people evacuated in the north of Madrid’s center.
What’s at risk next
Across the UK and Europe, the sources tied the next phase of risk to heat and drought conditions, with the AOL.co.uk report saying the dry spell contributed to low-water levels and that North Wales and the Upper Severn became the first part of the UK to declare drought status on Thursday.
“Firefighters are trying to extinguish a blaze in Marcheprime, west of Bordeaux, on July 26, 2026, as a forest fire ravages the massif north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde) since July 22 (AFP / Alain JOCARD)”
In France and Spain, the scale of displacement and the threat to major cities were central to what comes next, with NBC News reporting that Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said an evacuation of Bordeaux was not on the cards for now and that the city is home to 268,000 people.
In Spain, CBS News said thick black ash coated roof terraces in the north of Madrid’s center and that residents were forced to keep their windows closed by the smell of throat-irritating smoke, while local authorities said one person died in Manises.
The Reuters Climate Monitor cited by Al-Monitor and France 24 placed the heat in context, noting that in both Bordeaux and Ávila July high temperatures averaged 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), almost 6 C above the month’s normal high between 1961 and 1990, as authorities prepared for additional heat to complicate firefighting.
