The story so far
European Wildfires Crisis
Tracked across 4 sources · Updated 3h ago
In late July 2026, wildfires spread across Italy, Spain, and France, causing mass evacuations and one death. Spain declared a national emergency, and France requested EU aid. Over 250,000 were evacuated, with fires near Bordeaux threatening the region. French President Macron called it the worst crisis since WWII.
How it unfolded
8h ago
Macron says wildfires worst crisis since World War II
2d ago
Wildfires advance toward Bordeaux wine region
3d ago
Evacuations rise to nearly 260,000 in France and Spain
4d ago
Spain declares national wildfire emergency; EU aid requested
6d ago
Wildfires erupt in Sicily, France, Spain; thousands evacuated
What happened earlier
Latest updates
Latest
Full story →Wildfires in France Drive 250,000 People From Their Homes and Creep Toward Wine City of Bordeaux
Wildfires in France's Gironde region forced 250,000 people from their homes.
The blaze, which has burned 42,000 hectares (162 square miles), crept toward the wine city of Bordeaux.
Shifting winds and arid conditions complicated firefighting efforts, with 2,500 firefighters and 18 aircraft mobilized.
The fire destroyed 240 homes and 75 firefighters were injured.
The blaze developed into a self-feeding firestorm, generating lightning and creating its own winds.
Earlier · 5d ago
Full story →Wildfires ravage parts of Italy, Spain and France, prompting thousands of evacuations
Wildfires raged on Wednesday in Sicily, southwestern France, and central Spain.
The fires prompted thousands of evacuations and claimed the life of an Italian firefighter.
Temperatures topped 40°C and gusts of hot wind fanned the flames in Sicily.
Some 6,000 firefighters, forest guards, and civil protection officials were deployed in Sicily.
Regional head Renato Schifani said 50 fires were still raging.
Earlier · 4d ago
Full story →Spain invokes first wildfire emergency as fires rage across Europe; over 10,000 evacuated
Spain declared its first national emergency over wildfires, activating the highest emergency level for a wildfire.
Over 10,000 residents were evacuated from towns in the mountains west of Madrid due to multiple uncontrolled fires.
France requested European Union assistance for a major blaze near Bordeaux, leading to the full evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula with around 40,000 people evacuated.
Spain's interior ministry will coordinate firefighting operations nationwide under the emergency measure.
More than 350 fires have burned in Spain this year, destroying about 1,300 square kilometres, over four times the area burned in the same period last year.
Earlier · 2d ago
Full story →250,000 flee wildfires in France and Spain
Over 250,000 people have fled wildfires ravaging France and Spain, with fires moving closer to Madrid, Bordeaux, and threatening metropolitan areas.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu warned of difficult hours ahead in Gironde due to deteriorating weather forecasts.
In Corsica, firefighters struggled to contain a fire near Corte that spread across over 800 hectares.
A wildfire in Valencia, Spain killed one person before being brought under control.
France ordered 500 more soldiers to the wildfire zone in the southwest, bringing total deployed to 1,500.