Updated July 28, 2026 at 8:24 AM PDT
From Spain to southwestern France, around 330,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and holiday sites as some of Europe’s worst wildfires of the summer spread across the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic coast.
In France’s Gironde region near Bordeaux and in wildfire-hit areas of Spain, flames are being fueled by extreme heat — and scientists say some fires are now creating their own weather systems, making them even harder to control.
“You cannot stop a storm, so you will not stop a firestorm,” says Jean-Baptiste Filippi, a fire-weather expert at France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), or National Centre for Scientific Research.
Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, is facing increasingly frequent and intense fire seasons, heating at more than twice the global average according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The Gironde wildfire alone has burned land equivalent to four times the size of Paris and displaced 220,000 people.
The devastation across Spain and France continues to reshape communities and landscapes, serving as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by climate change.
“Climate change is here. It is real. It is already causing devastating effects,” said Pedro Sánchez, prime minister of Spain.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Aesir Diaz, 31, a technician with Spain’s Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF), center, sits next to teammates during a break from battling a wildfire in Sotillo de Adrada, Ávila province, Spain, as the fire continues to spread, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Firefighters tackle a blaze as wildfires rage near Le Las, outside Bordeaux, France, Monday, July 27, 2026.
Miguel Riopa
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AFP via Getty ImagesCharred pedalo boats are seen at the San Juan Reservoir after a wildfire ravaged the region in Pelayos de la Presa, 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Madrid, on July 28, 2026.
Philippe Lopez
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AFP via Getty ImagesThis aerial photograph shows burnt premises and vehicles destroyed by a wildfire in a business park in Biscarrosse, southwestern France, on July 28, 2026.
Firefighters use controlled burning to halt a wildfire that continues to spread near Cebreros, Ávila province, Spain, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
A group holds a firehose and tries to suppress a fire near Lacanau, as wildfires rage outside Bordeaux, France, Monday, July 27, 2026.
A house and belongings destroyed by a wildfire are photographed as the fire continues to spread near Pelayos de la Presa, Madrid province, Spain, Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Philippe Lopez
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Getty ImagesThis photograph shows a placard hanging on the wall of a house reading “Thank you” as a message of gratitude to the firefighters in Biscarrosse, southwestern France, on July 28, 2026, during a wildfire in the Landes region.
A campsite’s bungalows are charred after it was ravaged by a wildfire in Pelayos de la Presa, Madrid province, Spain, Monday, July 27, 2026.
