More than 250,000 people were evacuated from their homes in France and another 116,000 were forced to flee the area around Madrid in Spain due to the devastating wildfires
More than 360,000 people have been evacuated from southern Europe – and millions more have been told to avoid the worst-hit areas as fires have destroyed a land mass the size of Cornwall.
More than 250,000 people left their homes in France and another 116,000 were forced to flee the area around Madrid in Spain. The flames were just seven miles from Bordeaux, a centre for wine making and tourism. The chaos has seen tens of thousands of Brits to change their summer holiday plans.
Helicopters dropped water across huge swathes of forest. More than 42,000 hectares of land burned in southern France due to the intense heat. Experts say the number of wildfires and the scale of damage across EU countries so far in 2026 are well above average, with 1,325 fires and 378,000 hectares of land burnt as of 22 July, a land mass larger than Cornwall.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that the wildfires were spreading across southern Europe with another heatwave predicted this week, during which temperatures are expected to hit 40C (104F).
Fire severity highest at this point since 1980
Global warming is contributing to record-breaking damage in Europe, according to expert analysis. Overall, European fires so far in 2026 have been more uncontrollable than ever. Fire severity, a measure that gauges how difficult fires are to control, is the highest for this point in the year since records began in 1980.
Across Europe, the week of 15-22 July was the most destructive July week on record, with more than 180,000 hectares of land burned across EU countries. Nearly half (48%) of all land damage this year so far occurred in that week alone.
‘A wall of orange flames came roaring up over the hill’
Jo Barnes and her family had a near miss when a wildfire near the town of Cotignac in southern France came within metres of her house.
They first saw smoke on Tuesday and emergency services initially told them the fire was under control, but by evening, it had changed direction and rapidly moved towards her property.
She told the BBC: “A wall of orange flames came roaring up over the hill. On Friday afternoon the fire came back to our area… within 10 metres of the back of our house, we have a gas tank here, it was all very dramatic.”
They returned to find their house intact despite the surrounding hillside being burnt and completely black. The fire west of Bordeaux has ravaged 42,000 hectares of forest – an area larger than the Isle of Wight – and destroyed 240 homes since Wednesday, authorities said.
Advice to those travelling to France or Spain
The UK government has not specifically warned against travel to anywhere in France or Spain, but it does advise caution. Chris Bose, director of general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), said: “For those in an affected area of France or Spain or planning to travel there, the UK government recommends following instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times.”
“If your travel plans are disrupted by a wildfire and your policy includes trip disruption cover, travel insurance may cover some of the resulting costs.”
Only half of travel insurance policies have “catastrophe” cover, however, according to analysis from marketing experts Defaqto. Refunds from your airline, tour operator or accommodation provider may be the best option, according to the ABI. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that around 150,000 hectares had burned across the country so far this year, six times the area destroyed by wildfires at the same point in 2025.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez says firefighters are facing an “unprecedented” situation in Gironde, battling a fire that “has a life of its own”.
Speaking after a government crisis meeting, he said weather conditions and the composition of the forests are causing the wildfire to behave in an erratic manner. He said: “It is autonomous, self-sustaining, and spreads in all directions. So it is a fire that’s difficult to control.”
It burned through 40,000 hectares of land already – nearly double the total area burned by Gironde wildfires in 2022. Gironde is on France’s west coast.
