26.07.2026 14:14
Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes due to extreme heatwaves and severe wildfires that have taken hold of France and Spain. While Spain declared a national state of emergency for the first time in its history due to a wildfire, both countries, unable to fight the fires alone, requested emergency support from the European Union.
Spain and France are fighting forest fires. While evacuation orders were issued for 130,000 people in both countries, the army was deployed in France, and Spain declared a state of emergency for the first time in its history.
EVACUATION ORDER FOR 110,000 PEOPLE IN FRANCE
Fires intensifying in southwestern France pose a major threat to residential areas and campsites. French authorities ordered the complete evacuation of the famous tourist center Cap Ferret Peninsula on the Atlantic coast. Approximately 110,000 people, mostly tourists in the region, are being evacuated by road and boats dispatched to the area.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who deployed army units to support firefighting efforts, closely monitors the process, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez highlighted the dangerous scale of the fire:
"The fire we are facing is a 'convective fire' that generates its own energy and can suddenly change direction. The flames are predominantly moving eastward toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area."
It was reported that another major fire starting near the village of Saumos north of Cap Ferret risks cutting off the only road out of the peninsula. In France, it is stated that over 14,000 hectares of forestland have been reduced to ashes this season.
HISTORIC STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SPAIN AND MERGING FIRES
In Spain, flames cannot be controlled in mountainous areas west of Madrid. Despite intervention by over 2,000 personnel and 10 firefighting planes, the merging of two major fires around Madrid could not be prevented, and it was announced that a third fire in the Avila region is about to reach this line.
EVACUATION ORDER FOR 19,000 PEOPLE, 43 HOUSES BURNED
While evacuation orders were given to over 19,000 people living in mountainous areas west of Madrid, 43 houses were completely burned in settlements densely populated with summer and second homes.
"WORST FOREST FIRE IN HISTORY"
Madrid Regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso summarized the situation: "The worst forest fire in the history of our region. Very high temperatures and relentless winds created a perfect storm." Following major damage to residential areas, the Spanish government declared a national state of emergency for the first time in the country's history due to a forest fire. Meanwhile, one person was detained on suspicion of starting a fire using heavy machinery in a prohibited area, and an investigation was launched against another individual.
NUCLEAR PLANTS ALSO AFFECTED
The extreme heat not only affects forests but also directly impacts France's energy infrastructure. Overheating of river waters used for cooling nuclear reactors has led to a mandatory reduction in electricity production. As part of these restrictions, it was reported that the Golfech 2 nuclear reactor in southern France has been taken offline since July 7.