Wildfires in Spain and France force mass evacuations and spur climate‑action calls

A massive wildfire in the province of Guadalajara, northeast of Madrid, has burned about 32,000 ha – the second‑largest forest fire in Spain’s recorded history. Spanish authorities have evacuated roughly 1,200 people from 34 villages, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the blaze, urging a bipartisan "state pact" to combat the climate emergency. The fire, likely sparked by agricultural work, continues to be fought by around 600 responders, 30 aircraft and helicopters.

Meanwhile, a fast‑spreading forest fire near Bordeaux on France’s Atlantic coast has scorched between 800 and 2,000 ha. French prefects have declared a red alert and deployed about 500 firefighters, four water‑bombing aircraft and 150 vehicles. Up to 12,000 tourists and residents – including roughly 3,500 campers at La Grigne and thousands of beach‑goers – have been evacuated to nearby towns such as Lacanau. No injuries have been reported, but the blaze underscores the region’s extreme heatwave conditions and the growing risk of large‑scale wildfires across southwestern Europe.