Spain and France face historic fires: 325,000 evacuated and a ‘firestorm’ near Bordeaux

Spain and France face historic fires with thousands of hectares affected.

In the case of Spain, in Ávila, northwest of Madrid, the fire consumed about 50,000 hectares. The Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, described it as the most severe fire in decades. President Pedro Sánchez warned that there are still “complex hours” ahead.

The outbreaks in Madrid and neighboring provinces threatened to converge into a massive fire around the capital, forcing the evacuation of 60,000 people.

Testimonies of the Evacuees

Helena, 45, recounted: “We came with just the clothes on our backs because we thought we would return the next day. We are exhausted and eager to return home”.

Another resident, Juan Manuel Moreno, recalled the floods of 2023 and the Filomena storm of 2021: “We are accumulating problems, but these things can be avoided. Spain is forest, but nothing is cleaned”.

France: the “firestorm” in Bordeaux

Just 15 km from Bordeaux, firefighters are battling a phenomenon known as a firestorm.

Lieutenant Colonel Éric Brocardi explained that extreme heat causes spontaneous combustion and internal lightning that fuels the embers. In Le Porge, between Bordeaux and Cap Ferret, aerial images showed charred houses and vehicles.

The mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, confirmed that the fire is close to the city, although evacuating its 270,000 residents is not being considered.

The heatwave forecast with temperatures of 40 ºC threatens to worsen the situation.

Magnitude of the Emergency

• In France, the fires have already affected 115,000 hectares so far this year.
• Thousands of firefighters, supported by 1,500 military personnel and 1,200 police officers, are battling between 30 and 40 simultaneous fires in regions such as Las Landas, the Var, and Corsica.
• In total, 325,000 people have been evacuated in Spain and France.

Climate Change as a Trigger

Experts from the World Weather Attribution group concluded that the drought and exceptional heatwaves since June have been exacerbated by climate change, mainly caused by the combustion of oil, coal, and gas. This context makes forests more flammable and multiplies the intensity of the fires.

The simultaneity of fires in Spain and France reflects how climate change transforms natural phenomena into humanitarian and environmental crises.

The “firestorm” in Bordeaux and the historic fire in Ávila are signs that Europe faces an unprecedented challenge: protecting lives, ecosystems, and cities in the face of extreme heat and prolonged droughts.