France and Spain race to contain wildfires before new heatwave

Firefighters in France and Spain are working to contain major wildfires as another heatwave approaches western Europe. The fires have burned through large areas of woodland, destroyed homes and forced mass evacuations in both countries. Officials say the next few hours are critical as temperatures rise again.

Sponsored

In southwestern France, a large fire near Bordeaux has burned 42,000 hectares over the past six days, according to local officials. The blaze has forced 220,000 people to leave their homes and destroyed 240 houses. Firefighters said the fire did not spread overnight, although they continued to deal with flare-ups as conditions remained unstable.

A smaller fire in the adjoining Landes area was described as contained, but it had still led to the evacuation of more than 30,000 people. The Bordeaux-area fire also produced a rare pyrocumulonimbus cloud, a phenomenon that can generate wind and lightning. In the Gironde region, tractors fitted with blades, pickups towing water tanks and logging trucks joined fire engines in support of the response.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited a crisis centre in Bordeaux and warned that difficult weeks lie ahead. The prefect of Gironde said mobilisation remained full and complete on the eve of a day expected to bring higher temperatures and lower humidity. In Spain, fires burning west of Madrid were also under close watch as the country prepared for another surge in heat.

Sponsored

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the coming hours would be absolutely decisive in efforts to bring the blazes under control. Meteorologists said searing temperatures were expected to return to France from Tuesday and to Spain from Wednesday, increasing pressure on emergency crews already stretched by the scale of the fires. The fires are among the worst in living memory in both countries, according to the report.

They come during a period of repeated extreme heat across western Europe, with officials linking the worsening conditions to climate change. The scale of the evacuations, property loss and burned land has made the fires a major humanitarian and civil protection challenge, particularly in rural and forested areas where access is difficult and weather conditions can change quickly. What remains unclear is how much the new heatwave will affect containment efforts in the coming days.

Officials have said the situation is highly unpredictable, and both countries are facing the risk of renewed flare-ups as temperatures climb and humidity falls. The main focus now is on holding existing fire lines, protecting remaining homes and allowing evacuated residents to return safely where possible.

#wildfires #France #Spain #heatwave #evacuations

Sponsored