Disasters & Incidents
Europe wildfires prompt EU aircraft deployment and evacuations
Wildfires in Europe have led the European Union to send firefighting aircraft to France and Spain, where fires have forced evacuations and burned large areas of land.
The European Union said it was deploying four specialised water-bombing planes to Spain and three to France. Both countries requested the aircraft through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the bloc's system for coordinating disaster assistance among member states.
In Spain, Francisco Martin, a top regional official, said two fires west of Madrid were close to merging into one blaze moving toward Navas del Rey, about 50 kilometres from the Spanish capital. Earlier, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said firefighters were working to stop fires from converging. Regional authorities said two fires less than 100 kilometres from Madrid remained uncontained and out of control.
More than 430 elderly people and people with disabilities were evacuated from five care homes in the Madrid region. The Madrid regional government said wind would make firefighting more difficult on Friday.
In southwestern France, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 40,000 people had been evacuated because of a wildfire that had burned more than 10,000 hectares and was now the largest fire of the season. He said 80 homes had burned, around 50 of them completely destroyed, and that no casualties had been reported so far there.
Nunez also said France had 32 active wildfires of varying intensity. He said more than 50,000 hectares had burned in France since January 1, nearly three times the figure from last year.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government had deployed all available resources. He said Spain was facing a dramatic situation in several provinces and in neighbouring countries.
Hundreds of people also fled by boat from the Cap Ferret peninsula in western France after authorities ordered evacuations because of a fast-moving wildfire. By Friday morning, the blaze had burned an area nearly twice the size of Manhattan.
Satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed that the total area burned so far this year in EU countries was the second largest on record. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said in a study published this week that the current European drought, made more severe by human-caused climate change, was helping fires break out faster.
Update
Both France and Spain requested aircraft through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the southwest France fire was the largest fire of the season.
Nunez said 80 homes had burned in southwest France, around 50 of them completely destroyed, with no casualties reported so far there.
Two fires less than 100 kilometres from Madrid remained uncontained and out of control, according to regional authorities.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:52:38 UTC.
Update
Wildfires forced residents and tourists to flee France's Cap Ferret peninsula by boat.
Some residents of Madrid woke to the smell of smoke from fires burning less than 100 kilometres from the city.
Two fires west of Madrid were close to merging and moving toward Navas del Rey, according to Francisco Martin.
Fires have forced about 50,000 evacuations in France and Spain, including more than 40,000 in southwest France and more than 10,000 in the Madrid region.
Three firefighters have died in the wider wildfire emergency, including one in Sicily and two near Bordeaux airport.
Spain declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region.
France's interior minister said 32 fires of varying intensity were burning across France and more than 50,000 hectares had burned since January 1.
EFFIS satellite data showed the area burned so far this year in EU countries is the second largest on record.
World Weather Attribution scientists said drought made more severe by human-caused climate change was helping fires break out faster.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:48:58 UTC.
Update
EU spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen was named as the official who described the deployment.
Itkonen said the EU hoped the situation would not worsen but was preparing for a severe situation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:39:36 UTC.
Update
An EU spokeswoman said the EU is deploying four planes to Spain and three to France to fight wildfires.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:27:54 UTC.
Update
More than 430 elderly people and people with disabilities were evacuated from five care homes in the Madrid region.
Spain requested four firefighting aircraft through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, and Greece agreed to send two Canadair water-bombing planes.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 40,000 people had been evacuated in southwestern France and that 80 homes had burned, around 50 of them completely destroyed.
Nunez said France had 32 active wildfires and had passed 50,000 hectares burned since January 1, nearly three times last year's figure.
Regional authorities said two fires less than 100 kilometres from Madrid remained uncontained and out of control.
Hundreds of people fled by boat from the Cap Ferret peninsula in western France after authorities ordered an evacuation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 10:09:29 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Fire conditions and evacuation totals are developing and may change.
The report says no casualties had been reported so far for the southwest France wildfire, but does not make that a final assessment for all fires.
Source
AFP news report published on .