Emmanuel Macron said France is facing its most difficult situation since the Second World War, as firefighters battle wildfires ahead of a 40C heatwave.
The French president urged fire crews to “stay strong” as they try to bring the “unprecedented” blaze under control.
Firefighters have less than a day to control the wildfire before a heatwave sweeps the southwest of the country and brings hot, dry weather that could exacerbate the blaze.
More than 360,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain due to fires as Europe bakes in one of the hottest summers on record.
Authorities warned that the fires raging just 15km outside the city of Bordeaux could last for months, with crews from all over the country forced to rotate in to extinguish the blaze.
According to forecaster La Chaîne Météo, a new “powerful” heatwave will hit France on Wednesday.
With temperatures set to peak at 40C on the Atlantic coast in the afternoon, the new heatwave warning gives firefighters just a 24-hour window to control the blaze.
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
- France facing its most difficult situation since the Second World War - Macron
- Blaze could last for months, say firefighters
- Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
- Prince William says wildfires are a ‘stark reminder’ of climate change
- More than 13,000 businesses in France pause operations
Prince William says wildfires are a ‘stark reminder’ of climate change challenges
05:00 , Stuti MishraPrince William has released a statement following the wildfires that have taken place across France, Spain and the UK.
The Prince of Wales took to social media on Monday evening to say his thoughts were “with everyone affected” and that he was “deeply grateful to the firefighters, emergency services and volunteers working tirelessly in extraordinarily difficult conditions”.
Read more:
Prince William speaks out after ‘devastating wildfires’ in France, Spain and UK
Spain evacuates two other towns
04:40 , Stuti MishraMore than 40 towns have now been evacuated in Spain after its interior ministry announced the evacuation of two locations near Madrid.
People in Santa María de la Alameda and Las Navas del Marqués have been sent alerts urging them to leave the area.
The wildfires have forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes in what the EU on Monday called “one of the biggest evacuation operations in Europe.”
France and Spain in 'race against time' to control wildfires as temperatures set to rise again
04:18 , Stuti MishraFrance was in “a race against time” to control wildfires before another heatwave this week, fire service spokesperson Eric Brocardi told The Guardian.
Weather forecasters in both countries have said temperatures could reach 40C (104F) again is some parts from Tuesday.
Spain’s state meteorological agency says the heatwave will last until “at least” Sunday, “making firefighting efforts more difficult due to high temperatures [and] locally gusty southerly winds”.
Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Monday and Tuesday were “absolutely crucial days” before temperatures rise again from Wednesday.
Prime minister Pedro Sánchez warned: “We face difficult hours, complex hours” ahead.
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
03:00 , Harriette BoucherWhat is a 'fire cloud'?
02:00 , Harriette BoucherSuha Kidwai reports:
Experts have warned that the blaze raging in France and Spain has been driven by a “fire cloud”, which occurs when a wildfire generates its own unique weather system.
Known technically as pyrocumulonimbus, or "pyroCB” clouds, “fire clouds” are a unique phenomenon where a full thunderstorm forms within a fire plume.
They begin when intense fires release enormous amounts of heat and energy, driving huge amounts of hot air, smoke, and ash rapidly upward.
As this plume reaches high altitudes, low atmospheric pressure causes the rising air to expand and cool.
This rapid drop in temperature forces the moisture within the plume to condense into massive mushroom-shaped storm clouds.
Dubbed the "fire-breathing dragon of clouds" by NASA, these clouds can generate catastrophic conditions that accelerate the spread of further wildfires.
Read more here:
What is a ‘fire cloud’? French firefighters face blaze creating its own thunderstorms
Spanish firefighters battle wildfire in Castellon province
01:00 , Harriette BoucherIn pictures: Wildfires ravage parts of Madrid
Tuesday 28 July 2026 00:00 , Harriette Boucher
British travellers brave the smoke as French wildfires force 220,000 to evacuate
Monday 27 July 2026 23:49 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s James C. Reynolds reports from Bordeaux:
British travellers arriving in Bordeaux on Monday braved the smoke as an “unprecedented” wildfire continued to sweep through southwest France, forcing more than 200,000 people to evacuate.
Firefighters were in a race against time to contain the blaze as it came within nine miles from entry points to the main metropolitan area, with a looming heatwave threatening to exacerbate the spread.
Steve Bray, arriving from London Gatwick, told The Independent that he and his partner, Laura Slade, were spending a couple of nights in the city before heading to wedding in the south.
“Our government didn’t say anything, the French government didn’t say anything, the flights didn’t say anything and the hotel didn’t say anything,” he said.
They assessed that “the French authorities are on top of it and if it was ‘bad bad bad’, then we wouldn’t have been allowed to fly in the first place”.
“It’s all good. Wasn’t put off at all,” he said, adding: “Overall, can’t complain. We’re on holiday, so - haven’t got work tomorrow!”
Read more:
British travellers brave the smoke as French wildfires force 220,000 to evacuate
Editorial: For climate-change deniers, the heat is on
Monday 27 July 2026 23:30 , Harriette BoucherAs millions are affected by uncontrollable wildfires raging across Europe, and Britain braces for its fourth heatwave of the year, it is time we all accepted the evidence of our own eyes:
For climate-change deniers, the heat is on
'This is the fire of the century', says French mayor
Monday 27 July 2026 22:40 , Harriette BoucherThe mayor of a town near Bordeaux has described the current blaze and the “fire of the century”.
Jerome Steffe, from the town of Cestas, told Sky News that 17,000 residents had to be evacuated in previous days.
“This fire is so enormous... it's something we have never, never seen in France. I think this is the fire of the century.”
Mr Steffe told the broadcaster that the fires had been stabilised on Monday thanks to the efforts from fire crews and lower temperatures and some rainfall.
He said his town was bracing for temperatures that could clim above 41C.
Temperatures to soar on Wednesday as France races to control fires
Monday 27 July 2026 22:04 , Harriette Boucher
Watch: Distant wildfire almost engulfs home in just 8 minutes in chilling CCTV
Monday 27 July 2026 21:36 , Harriette BoucherMore people displaced as Spain evacuates two other towns
Monday 27 July 2026 20:50 , Harriette BoucherMore than 40 towns have now been evacuated in Spain after its interior ministry announced the evacuation of two locations near Madrid.
People in Santa María de la Alameda and Las Navas del Marqués have been sent alerts, urging them to leave the area.
The wildfires have forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes in what the EU on Monday called “one of the biggest evacuation operations in Europe.”
Mapped: Europe wildfires continue as heatwave nears
Monday 27 July 2026 20:38 , Harriette Boucher
We’re wildfire experts. Here’s what the UK can learn from Australia
Monday 27 July 2026 20:28 , Harriette Boucher
We’re wildfire experts. Here’s what the UK can learn from Australia
In pictures: Macron in the crisis room at the Departmental fire and rescue operational center
Monday 27 July 2026 19:57 , Harriette Boucher
Resident says France's wildfires have mobilised his local community
Monday 27 July 2026 19:28 , James ReynoldsEsteban De Riberolles, a physiotherapist living in Lacanau, told The Independent his clinic in Le Porge was forced to close when the town became one of the first to be evacuated.
“We heard many accounts from friends and local residents who had to flee their homes in the middle of the night under very distressing circumstances,” he recalled.
“In the days that followed, I called all of my patients to check on them and reorganise their treatment. Several told me they had lost their homes. My best friend is one of them and is currently staying with me while he finds a new place to live.
“Lacanau itself was mostly spared, with only some areas on the outskirts affected, while the town centre remained safe.”
Mr De Riberolles, who has been volunteering to offer massage relief to the firefighters working tirelessly to contain the blaze, said the fires have mobilised the local community to help.
“Together with friends, we obtained a 1,000-litre water tank mounted on a trailer to transport water to those working on the ground and, whenever appropriate, help deal with small fire spots,” he said.
“It has been an unforgettable experience. I've seen how an entire community can come together in the face of a disaster like this.”
France is dealing with its most difficult situation since the Second World War - Macron
Monday 27 July 2026 18:56 , Harriette BoucherEmmanuel Macron has said France is dealing with its most difficult situation since the Second World War in the wake of the “unprecedented” wildfires.
The French president urged fire crews to “stay strong” as they battled to bring a monster wildfire under control, warning that the fight will take time but vowing that they would “win this battle together.”
On a visit to a coordination centre for the firefighting effort, Macron heard how the blaze in the southwest has been wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding fire storm.
He told journalists and emergency service workers: “We have a situation that is more difficult than at any time since the Second World War.”
The president praised fire crews who stopped the fire’s progression after successive days of spreading flames but cautioned that the battle isn’t yet won.
“The weeks ahead will be hard,” he said.
Firefighters cool down animals caught up in Spain wildfire blazes
Monday 27 July 2026 18:35 , Harriette BoucherPrince William says wildfires are a ‘stark reminder’ of climate change challenges
Monday 27 July 2026 18:19 , Harriette BoucherEurope not ready for longer wildfire seasons, says aerial firefighting firm chief
Monday 27 July 2026 18:02 , Harriette BoucherEuropean countries have been warned that they are not prepared for longer and more extreme wildfire seasons.
The chief executive of aerial emergency services firm Avincis stated that longer European wildfire seasons and bureaucratic obstacles have exacerbated regional shortages of both aircraft and the experienced pilots needed to fly them.
John Boag stated that its firefighting aircraft are now needed almost year-round.
“Globally, fire seasons are getting longer, aircraft are not moving between areas and pilots are becoming harder and harder to get.
He said Europe was under strain in part because the extra months of firefighting narrow the window for moving capacity between hemispheres, leaving gaps in capacity.
“Originally the peak period of the year over the summer was three or four months ... Now we have aircraft starting in March and April and going through to October.
“You're at a point where governments are going to have to be able to afford to have the aircraft available to cover a 12-month period, because commercial companies can't go to the [southern hemisphere] and earn more revenue over the off-season.”
Distant wildfire almost engulfs home in just 8 minutes in chilling CCTV
Monday 27 July 2026 17:42 , Harriette BoucherIn pictures: Spain declares state of emergency over wildfires
Monday 27 July 2026 17:27 , Harriette Boucher
Massive blaze under control but still posing a threat in France
Monday 27 July 2026 17:01 , Harriette BoucherThe massive blaze in the south of France is no longer growing, but still remains a threat, the interior minister has said.
Firefighters and helicopters managed to bring the wildfires under control ahead of the heatwave expected to hit the area later this week.
Laurent Nunez said the fire had stopped growing in a first glimmer of hope since the inferno forced a staggering 220,000 people to flee in the region around the city of Bordeaux.
But with woodlands still smouldering, the minister cautioned that the battle isn't yet won.
“It hasn’t progressed during the night,” Nunez said.
“We have to remain very concentrated, very determined, to go at any moment.”
He spoke after Emmanuel Macron held a crisis meeting Monday focused on the blaze in the Gironde region and wildfires that crews continue to tackle elsewhere.
Spanish president renews calls for state pact to tackle climate change
Monday 27 July 2026 16:37 , Harriette BoucherSpain’s president has renewed his call for a state pact to tackle the climate emergency and address the “increasingly extreme impacts of climate change”.
Pedro Sanchez announced a 10-point plan last September, which he said would prepare his country for extreme weather events and tackle the climate crisis.
On Monday, he said: “Our priority is to defend people's lives, protect population centres, and fight the fire.
“We will be there in the response and in the recovery. And we must also be there in prevention.
“I make a new call to agree on a State Pact in the face of the Climate Emergency to address the increasingly extreme impacts of climate change.”
The president said urgent solutions were needed to better prepare the country for future challenges and would require the Spanish public to come together.
Live map: Temperatures set to climb as France and Spain battle wildfires
Monday 27 July 2026 16:12 , Harriette BoucherCivil war remnants threaten to complicate firefighting efforts in eastern Spain
Monday 27 July 2026 16:00 , Suha KidwaiAs firefighters continue to tackle a major blaze in the country’s east, ordnance from the Spanish civil war may pose complications.
Fire chief of the Valencian Regional Government, Chevi Bolumar, has cautioned that the ordnance could explode when the flames reach the area.
Spanish authorities discovered and destroyed 36 explosive devices from that era in the Castellon province in 2024, according to the latest available data.
More than 13,000 businesses in France pause operations amid wildfire evacuation orders
Monday 27 July 2026 15:45 , Suha KidwaiFrance’s economy minister, Roland Lescure, has confirmed that over 13,000 businesses in Gironde have had to evacuate their premises amid the wildfires.
During a press briefing on Monday, Mr Lescure reassured businesses impacted by the situation: “We are there for them.”
In the meantime, the wildfires continue to put business operations in the region on hold.
Over 360,000 people evacuated
Monday 27 July 2026 14:50 , Maira ButtMore than 360,000 people have been evacuated in wildfires across France and Spain as flames continued to spread across Europe.
Over 250,000 people have been evacuated in France including the entirety of the Cap-Ferret peninsula and several suburbs outside of Bordeaux.
In Spain, more than 116,000 people were forced to leave their homes, authorities said.
'It looked like the apocalypse:' Harrowing accounts begin to emerge from people fleeing Spain wildfire
Monday 27 July 2026 14:30 , Suha Kidwai"It looked like the apocalypse. You couldn't see anything. Everything was covered in ash," Rocio Dominguez, who evacuated from Chapineria, west of Madrid, told AP.
"We don't know when we get to the town, if we'll have half the house burned down or we'll have it intact or we won't have a house,” she said.
"All the clothes, all the memories, everything."
Ms Dominguez is one of more than 116,000 people in the country have now been evacuated due to the outbreak of wildfires.
UK preparing for wildfires similar to those that have torn through France and Spain, minister confirms
Monday 27 July 2026 14:15 , 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 southwest 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.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
UK preparing for wildfires similar to France and Spain, minister says
France braces for fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to reach 40C
Monday 27 July 2026 14:00 , Suha KidwaiAs wildfires continue to rage across southern France, Météo-France has forecasted another heatwave is set to hit the country in the week ahead.
Temperatures predicted to return to mid-to high 30s on Tuesday, and peak near 40C in the southwest regions on Wednesday.
High temperatures often result in dry conditions that can increase the likelihood of wildfires.
The news comes after France recorded 5,764 excess heat-related deaths during the country’s last heatwave, which lasted between June 17 and July 2.
Watch: French police rush families from homes as new blaze breaks out: 'The fire is coming'
Monday 27 July 2026 13:45 , Maira ButtWhy are the fires so difficult to control?
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 11:53 , Maira Butt
Mapped: The areas in France and Spain affected by raging wildfires
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 10:35 , Maira Butt
Watch: Aerial footage shows shocking scale of forest fires outside Bordeaux
Monday 27 July 2026 10:20 , Maira ButtWildfires have hit French economy like a 'clap of thunder', says minister
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 09:40 , Maira ButtFirefighters could be fighting blaze 'for months', warn Gironde authorities
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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
Monday 27 July 2026 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.
