Heatwave and strong winds fuel uncontrollable wildfires in France and Spain

Europe braces for another heatwave as wildfires continue to spread across southwestern France and central Spain. Experts anticipate the blazes will intensify in the coming hours.

In France, flames are advancing toward Bordeaux, a major city in the renowned wine region of Gironde. Extreme heat and strong winds are fueling new outbreaks, even as firefighters work to contain existing ones. The fires have scorched vast areas of land, destroyed over 240 homes, and forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate or seek shelter. While Bordeaux is not currently facing a full evacuation, authorities acknowledge the proximity of the flames, with some reaching within 15 kilometers of the metropolitan area, describing the situation as "very unfavorable."

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very unfavorable

Spain is grappling with an "exceptionally complicated" fire season. The blaze in Burgohondo, Ávila, has already burned approximately 50,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire on record in the country. This year, Spain has seen 153,000 hectares incinerated, a sixfold increase compared to the same period in 2025, with 32 major wildfires reported. The primary concern for firefighting teams is the area around the San Juan reservoir, where efforts are focused on preventing the fire from spreading north.

Strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts for four days, leading to exhausting workdays for crews. The focus remains on protecting communities, conducting precautionary evacuations, and preventing two active blazes from merging. The national emergency has been extended to Toledo, affecting a total of 77,000 hectares and around 90,000 evacuees or confined individuals across the three regions.

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exceptionally complicated