Wildfires spread in France and Spain as displacement estimates rise

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Jul 26, 2026, 12:30 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-07-26-0030
Wildfires spread in France and Spain as displacement estimates rise
Photo: BBC News

Firefighters in France and Spain struggle to contain wildfires as rapidly shifting blazes force up to 300,000 residents from their homes.

Firefighters in France and Spain continue to battle expanding wildfires as adverse weather conditions trigger renewed evacuations across both nations.

In southwestern France, blazes in the Gironde department have destroyed an area four times the size of Paris, pushing flames toward Bordeaux. In Spain, three blazes merged west of Madrid, leading officials to declare a national emergency and warn that the situation has exceeded containment capacity. Late-night flare-ups also prompted fresh evacuations in Toledo.

Estimates of total displacement vary across reporting outlets as the situation rapidly develops. Sources report between 140,000 and at least 300,000 people evacuated overall, including over 200,000 in France and up to 63,000 in Spain's capital region.

Sources: BBC News, DW, Sweden Herald, Point

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