More than 300,000 people fled wildfires raging across France and Spain, according to French authorities, as severe drought conditions and extreme heatwaves fueled blazes that forced evacuations near Bordeaux and Madrid on July 26, 2026.
French Authorities Order Mass Evacuations Near Bordeaux
French regional authorities reported that 220,000 people have been evacuated from the primary forest fire burning in the southwest of the country, which increasingly threatens the city of Bordeaux. According to Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, authorities implemented a partial closure of the A63 highway, shutting down 60 kilometers of the major transit route connecting Bordeaux to the Spanish border. The closure spans from Interchange 17 of Liposthey to Interchange 24 in Cestas for southbound traffic, and from the ring road to Interchange 23 in Marcheprime for northbound drivers.
To support local emergency response efforts, the French government deployed 1,500 soldiers and 1,700 security personnel near Bordeaux, alongside dozens of firefighters brought in from Paris. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that 1,400 firefighters are actively battling the blazes on the ground. Additionally, an A400M military transport aircraft joined the aerial firefighting fleet on Saturday to assist smaller planes dropping water on the flames.
Emergency Shelters Open as Thousands Flee Homes and Holiday Accommodations
Thousands of displaced residents and holidaymakers crowded into emergency shelters, including exhibition halls and gymnasiums set up across France and Spain. Families slept on camp beds after escaping thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames that consumed forests and tourist infrastructure. Frederic Tavitian, a 70-year-old evacuee, described the sudden disruption after arriving at Bordeaux’s exhibition center, which was converted into a vast emergency shelter. “We were told: ‘You have to evacuate,'” Tavitian said. “We saw columns of smoke, like a volcano about to erupt.”
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly thanked the European Union and several European countries for dispatching assistance to support firefighting operations.
Spain Battles Expanding Infernos Near Madrid and Toledo
Across the border, Spain’s interior ministry announced a fresh wave of evacuations late Saturday as wildfires intensified near Madrid and the surrounding Toledo province. “Today, we are somewhat more pessimistic than yesterday,” Grande-Marlaska told reporters, noting that adverse weather conditions hindered containment efforts. Authorities confirmed that one person was killed by fires in eastern Spain as emergency crews worked through the night to protect populated areas.
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