More than 300,000 people have fled wildfires spreading through France and Spain, with a major fire near Bordeaux prompting mass evacuations. At least one person has died in Spain as authorities warn of difficult hours ahead.
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Key facts
- More than 300,000 people have fled homes and holiday accommodation in France and Spain, according to the Guardian.
- About 220,000 people have been evacuated from a major forest fire in south-west France threatening Bordeaux.
- At least one person has died in a fire in Spain, officials said.
- Spain has recorded 32 major forest fires so far this year, compared with seven in the same period in 2025.
- A 60km stretch of the A63 highway from Bordeaux to the Spanish border has been closed.
Wildfires spreading through parts of Spain and France have driven more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and holiday accommodation, with thousands crowding into emergency shelters, according to the Guardian. The scale of displacement has triggered one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France.
About 220,000 people have now been evacuated from the main forest fire raging in the south-west of France, which threatens the city of Bordeaux, according to French authorities. The latest evacuations have taken place in villages around Bordeaux. Regional authorities said that 60km (37 miles) of the main A63 highway from Bordeaux to the Spanish border has been closed because of the fires.
French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said around 50,000 people were evacuated from their homes overnight into Sunday, NPR reported. In Spain, at least one person has died in a fire, officials said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that ‘difficult hours lie ahead’ in the battle to contain the fires, as crews worked to bring the blazes under control. France and Spain have deployed thousands of firefighters, and neighbouring countries have sent help, according to Al Jazeera.
Spain’s environment ministry said that 32 major forest fires have been recorded so far this year, compared with seven over the same period in 2025. The sharp rise underscores the intensity of the current fire season across the region.
Scientists say climate breakdown is triggering more frequent and more extreme weather events, evaporating soils and waterways, fuelling wildfires and leading to thousands of excess deaths, the Guardian reported. Europe is heating at about twice the global average rate.
Why it matters
The mass evacuations show how extreme heat and wildfires are increasingly disrupting daily life and threatening major cities in Europe. With Europe warming at roughly twice the global average and Spain recording far more major fires than last year, the crisis highlights the growing toll of climate change on communities and emergency services.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have been evacuated in France and Spain?
More than 300,000 people have fled their homes and holiday accommodation across France and Spain, according to the Guardian. About 220,000 have been evacuated from the main fire near Bordeaux, and French officials said around 50,000 were evacuated overnight into Sunday.
Has anyone died in the wildfires?
At least one person has died in a fire in Spain, according to officials cited by NPR.
Why are the wildfires so severe this year?
Scientists say climate breakdown is fuelling more frequent and extreme weather, evaporating soils and waterways and driving wildfires, according to the Guardian. Europe is heating at about twice the global average rate, and Spain has recorded 32 major forest fires so far this year compared with seven in the same period in 2025.
Timeline
- What’s causing the unprecedented wildfires in Europe?
Al Jazeera: France and Spain have deployed thousands of firefighters, and neighbouring countries have sent help.
- Europe wildfires: ‘Difficult hours lie ahead’ in battle to contain fires, says Pedro Sánchez as more than 300,000 flee homes in France and Spain – as it happened
The Guardian World: Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain As my colleagues note in this story , scientists say climate breakdown is triggeri
- Europe wildfires: ‘Difficult hours lie ahead’ in battle to contain fires, says Pedro Sánchez as more than 300,000 flee homes in France and Spain
The Guardian World: Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain As my colleagues note in this story , scientists say climate breakdown is triggeri
- Europe wildfires: ‘Difficult hours lie ahead’ in battle to contain fires, says Pedro Sanchez as more than 300,000 flee homes in France and Spain
The Guardian World: Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain As my colleagues note in this story , scientists say climate breakdown is triggeri
- Europe wildfires: more than 300,000 flee homes and holiday accommodation in France and Spain as fires rage
The Guardian World: Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain About 220,000 people have now been evacuated from the main forest fire raging in t
- Europe wildfires: more than 300,000 flee homes and holiday accommodation as fires rage
The Guardian World: Fires displace people on massive scale and trigger one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain Hello and welcome back to our rolling coverage of the wildfires spreading through
- France and Spain fires force more than 300,000 to flee homes
NPR News: In France, around 50,000 people were evacuated from their homes overnight into Sunday, according to interior minister Laurent Nuñez. At least one person has died in a fire in Spain, officials said .