The flames continue to burn in the French department of Gironde on the night of Monday, July 27, 2026.Image: www.imago-images.de
Extreme weather
Large forest fires continue to burn in southwestern Europe on Monday. The fires have already burned over 100,000 hectares of forest and bushland – and created spectacular images.
July 27, 2026, 3:50 p.mJuly 27, 2026, 3:50 p.m
On the French Atlantic coast, the fire brigade continues to fight the huge forest fire with a large contingent and international support, with the situation stabilizing overnight.
A firefighter battles the flames in southwest France. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
After an emergency government meeting, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that the fire had been “stabilized” but “not yet under control.” “It didn’t spread any further during the night,” but the flames continued to rage. 2,500 firefighters, 18 firefighting aircraft and 1,500 soldiers are in action.
The fire lights up the sky over Lac Lacanau, around 40 kilometers from Bordeaux. (July 25, 2026)Image: www.imago-images.de
Like the government spokeswoman before, the minister called on people not to travel to the affected Gironde region. The situation has not yet calmed down. The authorities are worried about another heat wave that is expected to hit the region from Tuesday. “I don’t want to reassure anyone,” said the minister.
A fire brigade team fighting the flames. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
The authorities said further weather developments with the emergence of wind and heat are also important for fighting the fire. In the afternoon, President Emmanuel Macron was expected in the affected tourist region, which the fire hit in the middle of the peak season.
Cows rest on the scorched earth in Casavieja, Spain. (July 27, 2026)Image: keystone
The major fire could last “several weeks, even several months” before it is completely extinguished, fire officer David Annotel from the French Fire Brigade Association told the broadcaster France Info. Firefighting units from all over France would have to be deployed to fight the fire over many weeks and months. While a fire is being extinguished in one place, a new one is breaking out somewhere else. “The upcoming heat wave will worsen the situation and increase the number of missions.”
A Canadian firefighting plane drops extinguishing agents off Bordeaux. (July 27, 2026)Image: keystone
Since Wednesday, more than 220,000 people have been brought to safety in the holiday region on the Atlantic coast, which is also popular with Germans, including many tourists. The fire has now approached up to 15 kilometers from the city of Bordeaux and destroyed around 42,000 hectares of forest and bushland. That’s 420 square kilometers, an area larger than the city of Cologne.
A fire brigade team on duty at the Cap Ferret peninsula. (July 24, 2026)Image: keystone
Around 240 homes were destroyed. Huge clouds of smoke darken the sky over a wide area and the smoke can be smelled everywhere and makes it difficult to breathe, and the air quality is severely affected, a dpa reporter from Bordeaux reported.
A burnt down house and car in the Spanish province of Avila. (July 25, 2026)Image: keystone
Already dozens of kilometers from Bordeaux, a smoky veil hangs over the landscape, which is even more intense in the city. And the smoke is bad for your health; many people quickly feel unwell. Your throat is suddenly dry, your eyes are burning, you’re suddenly out of breath. White soot particles spread over parked cars.
A fire plane drops water at La Adrada. (July 24, 2026)Image: keystone
Meanwhile, in Spain there was progress in fighting the devastating forest fires, but Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned against premature optimism. “The situation with the fires is improving, but only slowly,” Grande-Marlaska told journalists.
Firefighters from across the country were mobilized to fight the fires. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
According to estimates, the fire in the province of Avila alone, which has been raging for days less than 100 kilometers west of Madrid, has already affected 47,000 hectares (470 square kilometers), said the minister. This would make it the largest forest fire in Spain’s recent history, as highlighted by the state TV broadcaster RTVE, among others.
The fire brigade is fighting fires west of Madrid. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
In addition to the fire in Avila, forest fires in the Sierra Oeste in the west of the so-called Autonomous Community of Madrid and in the province of Toledo southwest of the capital are currently causing concern. Together, these three fires have devastated around 77,000 hectares of forest and bushland.
The remains of a tree nursery near Bordeaux. (July 27, 2026)Image: keystone
The central government declared a state of emergency for these regions in order to be able to mobilize resources more quickly. According to the Military Emergency Response Unit (UME), all main fronts of the fires in Madrid and neighboring provinces have now been contained, although several sources of fire remain active.
A Spanish firefighter in western Madrid. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
The Interior Ministry in Madrid recently put the total number of people affected by evacuations and exit restrictions at around 90,000. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited an emergency shelter on Sunday and encouraged those affected.
Almost 170,000 people were evacuated around Bordeaux. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
In the province of Castellón in the east of the country, another larger fire has been blazing since Saturday and has already destroyed 6,500 hectares. Around 16,000 people were evacuated from various towns.
A volunteer tries to contain the flames with a rake near San Martin de Valdeiglesias. (July 26, 2026)Image: keystone
In Italy, emergency services have been fighting various fires in several regions since the weekend. After dramatic images from the Gargano peninsula in the southern Apulia region, operations there are continuing, according to the fire department. Hundreds of tourists had to be brought from the beaches by boat to safety from the flames that were approaching the coast. Firefighting aircraft and ground teams are still in use.
In the Basilicata region, dozens of people in the municipality of Maratea were taken from their homes for safety reasons. There are also still blazing fires on the large Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia as well as in the Calabria region. (sda/dpa/cpf)