A rare fire cloud has formed over the city of Bordeaux as wildfires continued to blaze across France.
“This smoke cloud generates its own weather system, causing anything in its path to spontaneously combust ... It is unprecedented in France,” said Eric Brocardi, a spokesman for the National Firefighters Federation of France.
The phenomena is typically witnessed during volcanic eruptions and can create its own wind and lightning.
Gironde authorities have warned that they could be fighting raging blazes near Bordeaux for “several weeks or even several months”.
The “real challenge is endurance” according to Lieutenant Colonel David Annotel, spokesperson for the National Firefighters Federation of France who told Franceinfo.
He reflected that the 2022 Landiras wildfire was not considered officially extinguished until 2025.
”We're looking at a similar situation. For many weeks and months, crews from all over France will have to continue rotating in."
Raging wildfires are now just 15km (9 miles) from Bordeaux, the city’s mayor Thomas Cazenave said on Sunday.
It is the sixth largest city in France when including both the city proper and surrounding metropolitan area, and is home to over 1.2 million people.
Read MoreMapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
UK braced for more wildfires as fourth heatwave looms
‘Like the apocalypse’: Narrow escapes of those left homeless by Spain’s wildfires
Is it safe to travel to Spain and France? Updated advice as wildfires rage
Key Points
- Blaze could last for months, say firefighters
- Bordeaux Airport evacuates hotel zone over wildfire
- Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
- UK braced for more wildfires as fourth heatwave looms
- Emmanuel Macron to hold a crisis cabinet meeting today
- Tourists urged to stay away as wildfire spreads towards Bordeaux
Watch: French police rush families from homes as new blaze breaks out: 'The fire is coming'
13:45 , Maira ButtWhy are the fires so difficult to control?
13:30 , Maira ButtExperts have weighed in on the reasons why the ongoing fires are proving so difficult to control.
“We have entered an era of fires that cannot be extinguished,” Víctor Resco de Dios, Lecturer of Forestry Engineering and Global Change, University of Lleida and researcher at Agrotecnio, told the Science Media Centre.
“These are fires that burn with the intensity of several atomic bombs and, as such, putting them out is extremely complex.
“They burn with such intensity because of all the energy stored in the hills, in the form of biomass, and because of all the drying energy in the atmosphere, resulting from the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels.
“Added to this are adverse weather and topographical conditions.”
Spanish PM warns against disinformation on wildfires ahead of next heatwave
13:15 , Suha KidwaiDelivering a news briefing in Castellón, a area affected by wildfires, Prime Minster Sánchez has warned against “lots of disinformation” about the causes of the fires on social media.
The leader has previously attributed the wildfires to the growing impacts of climate change.
He criticised several conspiracies claiming the blazes across Spain have been sparked intentionally in order to clear ground for solar panel installations or explore new areas for mining.
“All that does is create more worries and more anxiety for people,” stressed Sánchez.
Highlighting the risk for further wildfires amid a new heatwave expected later this week, the prime minister asked citizens to “exercise extreme caution,” and follow instructions from local authorities.
What is a ‘fire cloud’? French firefighters battle inferno so big it generates its own thunderstorms
12:55 , Maira ButtMore than 250,000 people in southwest France have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires burn across the region, scorching more than 42,000 hectares of land.
The fire, which began in Gironde on Wednesday, is just seven miles from Bordeaux as authorities warned that the blaze may continue to burn for several months.
President Emmanuel Macron met with his cabinet on Monday morning to discuss the crisis, but has said Bordeaux will not be evacuated.
Experts have warned that the blaze is being driven by a “fire cloud”, which occurs when a wildfire generates its own unique weather system.
What is a ‘fire cloud’? French firefighters face blaze creating its own thunderstorms
Wildfire season is 'far from over' warns French interior minister
12:47 , Suha KidwaiSpeaking after an emergency crisis meeting this morning regarding the situation in Gironde, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has cautioned that "the wildfire season is far from over."
Describing the countrywide blazes as a "never-before-seen situation," Nuñez emphasised that the fire "has its own life."
He added that the blaze has triggered a rare weather phenomenon known as a "fire cloud" — the first time it has ever been recorded in France.
‘I smell like I’ve been in a barbecue’: Bordeaux resident explains what life in city is like as wildfire edges closer
12:30 , Maira Butt“The smell is horrible, you can’t breathe,” says Ira Szmuk, a resident living in the centre of the city of Bordeaux as raging wildfires creep closer by the hour.
“In the afternoon and evening, the winds bring all the smoke into town so we can’t go out. We do everything we need to do in the morning and then we lock ourselves in the house.”
On Sunday, the city’s mayor Thomas Cazenave warned that the blazes were now only 15km (9 miles) away from the entry points to the main city, after the surrounding suburbs were evacuated on Saturday.
Bordeaux City Council officials told Sky News that they were considering plans to evacuate the whole area, which is the sixth-largest city in France.
What it’s like to live on the edge of an out-of-control wildfire in Bordeaux
Urgent solutions need to tackle climate emergency, says Spanish president
12:11 , Maira ButtSpanish president Pedro Sanchez has reiterated the importance of climate change and called for more “urgent solutions” for future challenges.
Resources from across Europe have been deployed to tackle blazes across Spain and Europe.
“Urgent solutions are needed to build a safer, more liveable Spain prepared for future challenges,” he said on Monday.
“The State Pact in the Face of the Climate Emergency is a national priority that concerns us all.
“This battle will not be won by a Government acting alone.
“It will be won by a united country, aware of what's at stake and determined to protect its territory, its future, and the lives of its people.”
Urgen soluciones que construyan una España más segura, más habitable y preparada para los desafíos futuros.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 27, 2026
El Pacto de Estado frente a la Emergencia Climática es una prioridad nacional que nos atañe a todos.
Esta batalla no la ganará un Gobierno en solitario. La ganará un país… pic.twitter.com/6nsTZdDyOe
In pictures: Wildfires rage across Europe
11:53 , Maira Butt
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
11:20 , Maira ButtOver 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires continue to rage across Spain and France.
At least one man has been killed in Spain and dozens others have been injured including at least 68 firefighters in France.
Government officials from both countries have commented on the historic nature of the blaze, with Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso describing it as “the worst fire in the history of the region”.
“The fires which are hitting our country have reached a level that has never been seen before,” French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X on Saturday.
Lecornu promised that over 1.5 million face masks would be provided as even areas unaffected by the worst of the blaze saw air quality deteriorate and smoke spread.
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
Fire remains 'active and uncontrolled' but 'slowed down' overnight
10:50 , Maira ButtMadrid authorities have said that wildfires raging near the capital remain “active and uncontrolled”.
“The fires in the Community of Madrid during the night have slowed in their advance and have allowed firefighting teams to act on them,” read a statement by the government delegation of Spain in the community of Madrid on Monday.
“The fire remains active and uncontrolled.3 fronts have been identified, with the most active one located north of the San Juan Reservoir.
“Citizens are urged to continue exercising extreme caution and to stay informed about the situation's evolution through official sources.”
In pictures: Macron chairs crisis on wildfires
10:35 , Maira Butt
Watch: Aerial footage shows shocking scale of forest fires outside Bordeaux
10:20 , Maira ButtWildfires have hit French economy like a 'clap of thunder', says minister
10:07 , Maira ButtWildfires in France have shocked the regional community French finance minister Roland Lescure said on Monday.
“It's like a clap of thunder for an area which could have done without this,” Lescure told reporters.
Local blogger Ira Szmuk told The Independent that tourist cancellations will impact many in Bordeaux city.
“People aren’t speaking about it yet because we’re still in a life-threatening situation but for many people their whole year’s revenue depends on these months. The year is over for us the moment you take summer away.”
Watch: Distant wildfire almost engulfs home in just 8 minutes in chilling CCTV
09:40 , Maira ButtFirefighters could be fighting blaze 'for months', warn Gironde authorities
09:23 , Maira ButtGironde authorities have warned that they could be fighting raging blazes near Bordeaux for “several weeks or even several months”, Lieutenant Colonel David Annotel, spokesperson for the National Firefighters Federation of France told Franceinfo.
He said that the “real challenge is endurance” and reflected that the 2022 Landiras wildfire was not considered officially extinguished until 2025.
”We're looking at a similar situation. For many weeks and months, crews from all over France will have to continue rotating in."
UK preparing for wildfires similar to those that have torn through France and Spain, minister confirms
09:00 , Maira ButtThe government is preparing for wildfires in the UK similar to those that have torn through France and Spain this summer, a minister has confirmed.
Blazes have wrought destruction in mainland Europe this week, with 220,000 forced out of their homes in south-west France and 116,000 evacuated in Spain.
Around 42,000 hectares have been burnt in southwest France, in one of the largest forest fires since the Second World War. Since the start of the year, about 98,000 hectares have been scorched. Meanwhile, in Spain around 70,000 hectares have burned this year.
Asked whether the UK is preparing for similar events, minister for intergovernmental relations Hamish Falconer told Sky News: "Obviously there are wildfires in Scotland as well, and we're in touch with the Scottish government about what support the British government can provide.
UK preparing for wildfires similar to France and Spain, minister says
Evacuation of Bordeaux 'not on the agenda' says government spokesperson
08:46 , Maira ButtA complete evacuation of the city of Bordeaux is “not on the agenda” at this time, a government spokesperson told Franceinfo on Monday.
She added that the blaze was “very difficult to anticipate” and that the government “remains extremely cautious” about the “extraordinary fire”.
Over the weekend, Bordeaux City Council told Sky News that it was considering a total evacuation of the city as one of the possible options in dealing with the fire.
Rain offers respite in small village outside of Bordeaux
08:30 , Maira ButtJérôme Steffe, the mayor of Cestas, a small rural village outside of Bordeaux, has said the situation has approved following rain overnight.
“We’re lucky because we had rain during the night and the wind lessened a bit. That did a lot of good, but make no mistake: it’s not because the leaves on the trees are damp and the flames have died down in places that there’s no longer any risk,” he said.
Gironde authorities said that “the situation remained stable overall during the night” but that firefighters continued to battle the blazes.
Firefighters battled throughout the night to keep fires away from Bordeaux
08:15 , Maira ButtFirefighters battled throughout the night and into Monday morning to tackle raging wildfires threatening the city of Bordeaux.
About 220,000 people have been evacuated in France and more than 75,000 people have been evacuated in Spain with a further 30,000 ordered to shelter in place.
"This is a fire of a size never seen before," said Jerome Steffe, mayor of Cestas, on Monday. Cestas is one of the suburbs that lies just outside the main Bordeaux city area and from where thousands have had to be evacuated from homes and holiday residences.
The blazes, which broke out last week near the Atlantic coast, are now 15 km (10 miles) away from entry points to the main metropolitan area of Bordeaux.
A major risk is that temperatures in Bordeaux are set to rise to 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) later this week, according to forecasts from France's weather office.
"It's a race against time before the heatwave returns," added Steffe.
Watch: Fires just 15km from Bordeaux as officials consider ‘total evacuation of city if necessary’
08:00 , Maira ButtFrench president Macron to hold crisis meeting on wildfires today
07:39 , Maira ButtPresident Emmanuel Macron's government will discuss the wildfires situation at a cabinet meeting on Monday.
France wildfires: 55,000 evacuated overnight
07:10 , Stuti MishraAt least 55,000 people were evacuated in southwest France overnight, bringing the total forced out of their homes to around 220,000 in one region alone, inched closer to the wine region city of Bordeaux.
Neighbouring Spain oversaw its own fire evacuations on the country's east coast.
“The situation remains very unfavourable," French interior minister Laurent Nunez said after what he described as “another difficult night” for fire crews battling round-the-clock against the blaze that has burned an area four times the size of Paris.
“The fire became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area," Nunez posted on X.
Pope calls for prayers for victims of the ‘devastating wildfires’
06:48 , Stuti MishraAt the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV referenced “the devastating wildfires” in France and Spain and expressed his solidarity.
“I express my solidarity and invite everyone to pray for those affected and for the work of the rescue workers.”
An estimated 42,000 hectares (162 square miles) had burned in Gironde, the region's prefecture said, much of it forests and scrubland made tinder-dry by successive heat waves. That is seven times the area of Manhattan island and four times the size of Paris.
Bordeaux Airport evacuates hotel zone over wildfire
06:10 , Stuti MishraBordeaux Airport's hotel zone has been evacuated until further notice as raging wildfires threaten the city, although the airport itself remains operational.
In a statement overnight, the airport said that the decision to close all hotels in its immediate vicinity was made in accordance with the Gironde prefecture.
While flights are still operational, the airport said no accommodation can be provided at the airport itself, which closes overnight. It advised travellers to look outside the evacuated areas or at the Parc des Expositions.
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
05:50 , Stuti MishraOver 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires continue to rage across Spain and France.
At least one man has been killed in Spain and dozens others have been injured including at least 68 firefighters in France.
Government officials from both countries have commented on the historic nature of the blaze, with Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso describing it as “the worst fire in the history of the region”.
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
UK braced for more wildfires as fourth heatwave looms
05:20 , Stuti MishraEmergency services are braced for further wildfires as the UK’s fourth heatwave looms.
A National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) spokesperson said: “With the Met Office warning that a fourth heatwave could develop this week, bringing another period of very hot weather to parts of the UK, fire and rescue services remain on alert and are continuing to prepare for renewed wildfire risk.”
Battling nearly 20 wildfires at once demonstrates “the scale of the challenge posed by the prolonged hot, dry conditions”, they added.
“Most wildfires are preventable and we are asking everyone to play their part in helping to protect our communities, wildlife and natural spaces, while easing the pressure on firefighters who have already faced an exceptionally challenging summer.”
Temperatures cooled, winds picked up and a smattering of rain fell for many during the weekend.
But parts of southern England will yet again meet their heatwave criteria on Wednesday, which could reach highs of 32C or 33C, and more will on Thursday
Macron calls crisis meeting
04:56 , Stuti MishraFrench president Emmanuel Macron will a hold a crisis cabinet meeting today as wildfires threaten the south-western city of Bordeaux.
He said on Saturday that France would "rebuild" and his government would "be there for as long as is needed".
Tens of thousands of people have already been evacuated from Bordeaux's surrounding region, with France's interior minister Laurent Nuñez saying the situation remained "very unfavourable" and the fire was "moving erratically" towards the city.
Fire 'moving in the direction of the city area,' says French interior minister
04:23 , Stuti MishraWildfires advanced towards the outskirts of the historic French city of Bordeaux, at the heart of the country's winelands, yesterday as France and Spain battled blazes that have already forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
About 220,000 people have been evacuated in France, while in Spain more than 75,000 people have been evacuated and a further 30,000 ordered to shelter in place, authorities said.
In France, fires have ravaged the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, a popular tourist destination, and spread through areas surrounding Bordeaux, where firefighters were trying to prevent the flames from reaching the regional capital.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the fire was about 15 km (9 miles) away from the entry points to the main city.
"We have a fire that is not under control and which is moving in the direction of the city area," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 2 TV yesterday. "The overall situation is very unfavourable, we are in a situation that is unprecedented."
Watch: Military plane tackles ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires across France YT drafts
03:00 , Rebecca WhittakerPictured: Wildfires destroy over 100 homes in southwest France
02:00 , Rebecca Whittaker
‘I smell like I’ve been in a barbecue’: Bordeaux resident explains what life in city is like as wildfire edges closer
01:00 , Rebecca Whittaker“The smell is horrible, you can’t breathe,” says Ira Szmuk, a resident living in the centre of the city of Bordeaux as raging wildfires creep closer by the hour.
“In the afternoon and evening, the winds bring all the smoke into town so we can’t go out. We do everything we need to do in the morning and then we lock ourselves in the house.”
Read more here:
What it’s like to live on the edge of an out-of-control wildfire in Bordeaux
Arsonists spread Italian wildfires by tying flammable rags to cats’ tails
Monday 27 July 2026 00:00 , Rebecca WhittakerArsonists tied flammable rags to cats’ tails and set them alight to ignite wildfires in Italy.
Deadly wildfires have continued to sweep across Europe, with extreme weather warnings and record temperatures devastating the continent.
However, not all of the blazes are believed to have been natural, with authorities investigating the “inhumane” method used at Pollino national park in Calabria, southern Italy.
Stray cats, who were released in the field to spread the blaze, were found amongst the smouldering remains.
“This is the work of a mind that is not merely malicious, but truly criminal,” said Domenico Costarella, of Calabria’s civil protection agency.
The Italian Association for the Defence of Animals and the Environment has called for a criminal investigation and offered a €1,000 reward for information that could help identify those who set the cats alight.
Watch here:
Arsonists spreading Italian wildfires by tying flammable rags to cats
Wildfire forces another 55,000 people to evacuate in southwest France
Sunday 26 July 2026 23:00 , Rebecca WhittakerA raging wildfire in southwest France forced the evacuation of 55,000 people overnight Sunday, taking the total forced out of their homes to 220,000 as the flames have crept ever closer to the wine region city of Bordeaux.
Authorities in the Gironde region, where Bordeaux is located, issued overnight evacuation orders for five more localities including some on the city’s approaches.
Wildfire forces another 55,000 people to evacuate in southwest France
Three fires started 'deliberately' in South of France
Sunday 26 July 2026 22:50 , Rebecca WhittakerThree fires in the South of France were started by "deliberate arson acts", officials in Var have said.
It comes as more than 1,000 firefighters have been battling the fire at Gros-Bessillon mountain for six days.
In a post on X the Var prefecture said: “Enough is enough.”
“Simon Babre, préfet du Var, strongly condemns these deliberate arson acts, which constitute unacceptable and criminally reprehensible actions,” it added.
Ça suffit ! Alors que plus de 1 000 sapeurs-pompiers combattent jour et nuit depuis 6 jours le feu du Gros- Bessillon, 3 départs de feu quasi simultanés viennent d’être signalés à quelques kilomètres plus au nord, sur la commune de Varages.
— Préfet du Var (@Prefet83) July 26, 2026
Simon Babre, préfet du Var, condamne… pic.twitter.com/5vsI4ZpOXI
Tourists urged to stay away as wildfire spreads towards Bordeaux
Sunday 26 July 2026 22:40 , Rebecca WhittakerTourists have been urged to stay away from Nouvelle-Aquitaine which is popular for its Atlantic beaches and some of France's largest woodlands.
One of France’s biggest wildfires is in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and it has spread towards Bordeaux, pushing officials to urge holiday-makers to stay away.
Sophie Brocas, the region's prefect, said: "We urge tourists not to come to this region, at least until the situation is under control.
"I encourage tourists who are already here to consider another destination."
Pictured: Forest fire rages in Saint-Jean-d'Illac, near Bordeaux
Sunday 26 July 2026 22:30 , Rebecca WhittakerFirefighters battle a forest fire in Saint-Jean-d'Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux.
The 220,000 people evacuated due to the massive wildfire in France's Gironde region will not be able to return home "until the fire has been brought under control", the local prefect said.
A normal workday has also been ruled out on Monday in the affected towns, as the situation could worsen on Tuesday due to an expected rise in temperatures.
Tourists evacuate from Italian seaside resort
Sunday 26 July 2026 22:00 , Rebecca WhittakerWildfires in Italy's southern Puglia region has also forced tourists to evacuate.
A seaside resort in the region was evacuated due to a large wildfire in the Gargano area, the national fire department said.
More fires led to the temporary suspension of railway traffic around the city of Acireale in eastern Sicily and on the eastern Adriatic line south of the city of Termoli, rail company RFI said.
Pope Leo, speaking from his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, offered spiritual support.
"In light of the devastating wildfires that have affected various areas of France and Spain in recent days, I wish to express my solidarity and closeness, and I invite everyone to pray for those affected and for the rescue workers engaged in relief efforts," he said.
Around 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate in France and Spain
Sunday 26 July 2026 21:30 , Rebecca WhittakerAbout 220,000 people have been evacuated in France, while in Spain more than 75,000 people have been evacuated and a further 30,000 ordered to shelter in place, authorities said.
In France, fires have ravaged the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, a popular tourist destination, and spread through areas surrounding Bordeaux, where firefighters were trying to prevent the flames from reaching the regional capital.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the fire was about 15 km (9 miles) away from the entry points to the main city.
"We have a fire that is not under control and which is moving in the direction of the city area," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France 2 TV on Sunday evening.
"The overall situation is very unfavourable, we are in a situation that is unprecedented."
