France and Spain battle massive wildfires, thousands evacuated across Europe
- France seeks EU support, Spain declares emergency as forest fires spread
- Over 20,000 evacuated in France and Spain amid devastating wildfires
France and Spain are battling major forest fires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, with authorities taking emergency measures as flames continue to spread across several regions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that France had requested assistance from the European Union to help contain a large wildfire sweeping through the southwestern part of the country, particularly in the Gironde region near the Atlantic coast.
“The situation remains extremely tense with the fires raging in our country, especially in Gironde,” Macron said, announcing that France had activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to secure additional firefighting support.
He said France would soon receive reinforcements, including two Canadair firefighting aircraft from Croatia, two Air Tractor aircraft from Portugal, and two Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
French officials said more than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight after a fast-moving wildfire burned through at least 6,000 acres of land west of Bordeaux, threatening communities and forcing emergency evacuations.
Meanwhile, Spain declared a national state of emergency in the Madrid region and the nearby province of Ávila following several uncontrolled forest fires.
The emergency declaration, announced by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, aims to speed up the deployment of resources and places crisis management under the coordination of the country’s Military Emergency Unit.
Spanish authorities said more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days from areas affected by multiple wildfires. In one incident, around 3,500 residents were ordered to leave their homes west of Madrid as flames spread rapidly.
Spanish media reported that fires in Ávila were advancing quickly, prompting authorities to issue warnings for residents in several municipalities, including Burgohondo, El Tiemblo and Navaluenga. Around 1,500 people were also evacuated from tourism and residential facilities in the El Tiemblo area due to the rapidly expanding fire.
The largest blaze in Spain is burning in the province of Guadalajara, about 100 kilometers north of Madrid, where fires have consumed around 32,000 hectares since breaking out last Thursday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government had deployed all available resources to combat fires affecting Ávila, León, Toledo, Madrid and other regions, urging residents to remain cautious and follow instructions from emergency authorities.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), wildfires in Spain have already burned around 125,000 hectares this year, compared with approximately 393,000 hectares during the entire year of 2025.
The latest fires highlight the growing wildfire threat facing southern Europe, where rising temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds have increased the scale and intensity of seasonal forest fires.
