Disasters & Incidents
France wildfire evacuees return as Madrid blaze eases
Authorities in southwestern France allowed people to return to nine villages on Thursday as firefighters said they were “reasonably optimistic” that a major wildfire near Bordeaux was no longer spreading.
The fire, which broke out a week earlier in a seaside pine forest, had not grown beyond 42,000 hectares since the weekend, the regional firefighting service said. It has destroyed 240 homes and displaced 220,000 residents and holidaymakers.
Regional firefighting chief Marc Vermeulen said crews would still need several days to soak remaining flames inside the forest and along its edges to prevent the fire from flaring again. Local authorities also planned to reopen a highway heading south from Bordeaux in the afternoon.
In Spain, officials said wildfires threatening areas near Madrid had stopped expanding and had “almost no flames” left. A local official said the blaze west of Madrid had burned 27,000 hectares and destroyed at least 100 homes since last week. By Thursday morning, about 1,000 evacuees remained in the Madrid region after thousands returned home on Wednesday.
A separate fire broke out on Wednesday in Fermoselle in western Spain, a few kilometres from the Portuguese border, forcing more than 600 people to evacuate, emergency services said. Another fire in Avila, farther west, had burned about 50,000 hectares and was Spain’s largest since records began in 1961.
Fires also continued elsewhere in Europe. Authorities said thousands of people were evacuated late Wednesday on the Greek island of Crete as a fire threatened a tourist resort and continued to burn Thursday in strong winds. Turkey’s agriculture minister said the country was fighting at least 115 fires, with at least 110 under control.
Update
French local authorities allowed people to return home in nine villages near the Bordeaux-area wildfire.
Authorities planned to reopen a highway heading south from Bordeaux on Thursday afternoon.
A new fire broke out on Wednesday in Fermoselle in western Spain, near the Portuguese border, forcing more than 600 people to evacuate.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 08:58:58 UTC.
Update
Rain and cooler temperatures were expected near Bordeaux on Thursday.
French firefighters said they were reasonably optimistic after the Bordeaux-area fire stopped expanding beyond 42,000 hectares since the weekend.
The France fire had displaced more than 220,000 holidaymakers and residents and destroyed around 240 homes.
Spanish authorities said fires near Madrid had no spread for several days, few smoking spots and almost no flames left.
The Madrid-region fires had burned 27,000 hectares, regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso said.
Only about 1,000 evacuees remained in the Madrid region by Thursday morning.
Thousands were evacuated on Crete late Wednesday as fires threatened a tourist resort.
Turkey said at least 110 of 115 fires across the country were under control.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 07:54:43 UTC.
Update
A forest fire erupted in Burgundy near Dijon, burning 125 hectares, with local officials reporting no casualties or damage to homes.
The Gironde region reported a second calm night and said the large fire west of Bordeaux remained stable despite higher temperatures.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the coming hours would be decisive in extinguishing remaining flames.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 22:22:19 UTC.
Update
More than 600 people were forced to flee after a fresh fire erupted in France's Var region.
Spain lifted remaining evacuation orders for Avila province and the last two evacuated towns near Madrid.
Two firefighters died fighting fires in Crete and a third near the Peloponnese port of Gytheio.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 20:38:19 UTC.
Update
Authorities said 57,000 residents of three towns near Bordeaux were to be allowed home five days after being evacuated.
The Gironde region reported a second calm night and said the massive fire west of Bordeaux was stable.
Temperatures were expected to reach 41C in parts of Gironde and Landes, with firefighters concerned that strengthening winds could fan embers and reignite the main blaze.
Spain lifted remaining evacuation orders for Avila province and for the last two towns near Madrid that had been evacuated.
Spanish officials said better overnight conditions helped crews stabilise the fire area.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 19:56:54 UTC.
Update
A major outbreak near Lanton was being fought on Wednesday as winds and heat threatened to spread the fire.
The blaze had consumed more than 42,000 hectares.
Firefighting aircraft and volunteer water crews were working near Lanton.
Temperatures in the Bordeaux region were approaching 40C as officials warned of a fresh heatwave.
Some residents and volunteers criticised the state response, while Lanton's mayor praised volunteer support and urged people to avoid misinformation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 19:01:16 UTC.
Update
A French government-deployed A400M military transport aircraft carried out its first firefighting mission over a forest fire in Lacanau.
The aircraft was fitted with a kit able to release 20 tonnes of water or fire retardant.
The government said the A400M capacity was equivalent to three Canadair aircraft in water volume.
The deployment had been planned for the end of the month, but Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ordered immediate use because of the severity of the fires.
The interior and defence ministries signed a joint agreement with Airbus to equip an A400M with an aerial firefighting kit on an experimental basis.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 16:43:29 UTC.
Update
The top regional official was identified as Sophie Brocas.
The wildfire was described as raging in the southwestern French department of Gironde.
Brocas said the blaze had lost some intensity because of lower temperatures and increased humidity.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:47:55 UTC.
Update
A top official said the threat of fire in southwest France remained very serious.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:39:47 UTC.
Update
The A400M was equipped with a dispensing kit able to release 20 tonnes of water or fire retardant.
The aircraft flew over a forest in Lacanau in southwestern France.
AFP journalists saw the mission.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:28:55 UTC.
Update
An A400M military aircraft carried out its first firefighting mission in southwest France.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:18:15 UTC.
Update
Hundreds of firefighters have been battling fires in Gironde and near Biscarrosse in Landes.
The interior and defence ministries signed a joint agreement with Airbus to make and equip an A400M aircraft with an aerial firefighting kit on an experimental basis.
The A400M kit can release 20 tonnes of fire retardant, equivalent to two Dash firefighting aircraft.
The interior ministry said technical preparation, flight tests and crew qualification began on July 20.
The fires in Gironde and Landes have forced more than 140,000 people to evacuate and have burned 22,000 hectares.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 08:49:15 UTC.
Update
The fires are in southwest France.
The A400M could be deployed as early as Saturday.
The aircraft is to be fitted with a dispensing kit able to release 20 tonnes of fire retardant.
The stated capacity is equivalent to two Dash firefighting aircraft.
The deployment had previously been planned for the end of the month because of preparation and testing.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 08:30:49 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The number of people allowed to return to the nine French villages was not specified.
The full toll from the Crete fire was unclear because the fire was still ongoing.
Source
AFP news report published on .