Climate
Wildfires in France and Spain: 270,000 evacuated as unprecedented fires devastate region
Unprecedented forest fires are devastating southwestern France and multiple regions of Spain since July 24, 2026, forcing the evacuation of approximately 270,000 people. In France, 167,000 residents of Gironde and approximately 30,000 in the neighboring Landes department have left their homes. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez declared that France has never experienced fires of this magnitude. In Spain, over 70,000 people have been displaced by mega-fires. Experts estimate that only a weather change can help contain these fires.