France orders evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as thousands flee wildfires
Jakub Krupa
Thousands of people have been forced to flee parts of south-west France amid worsening wildfires that prompted the authorities to order people to evacuate from the Cap Ferret peninsula along the Atlantic coast.
A French Civil Security Canadair CL-415 aircraft sprays water on a forest surrounding Cotignac, southeastern France. Photograph: Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images
Evacuees have been told to leave the area before 10am, using hundreds of mobilised boats or the only road linking the area with the mainland.
Holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret carry their belongings along the pier upon their arrival in Arcachon during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula in southwestern France. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau/AFP/Getty Images
More than 10,000 hectares are affected by the two concurrent wildfires, which last night crossed the firebreak established by firefighters.
The French authorities formally requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to tap into the bloc’s resources as they battle the fires, with Emmanuel Macron saying the situation remained “very intense.”
The EU’s crisis commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, confirmed that “following France’s activation of the EU’s civil protection mechanism, the EU is providing assistance and deploying 3 water bomber aircraft.”
Dangerous situation is also unfolding in Spain, with the Spanish government declaring a national emergency over wildfires near Madrid and Avila, forcing more than 10,000 people to evacuate.
A wall of flames advances as a wildfire burns near Burgohondo, in Ávila province, Spain. Photograph: Mateo Lanzuela/Europa Press/AP
I will bring you all the updates here.
It’s Friday, 24 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
3m ago
Closing summary
10m ago
Spanish authorities worry about blazes in Madrid and Ávila merging
31m ago
Spain’s far-right party falsely claims wildfires are not linked to climate emergency
37m ago
Russian strikes kill 10 in Kyiv, hit Latvian consulate in Sloviansk
43m ago
Romania investigates origin of drone shot down over its territory
52m ago
Poland’s main rightwing opposition splits after loyalty pledge ultimatum
1h ago
Germany’s Merz reshuffles top team as he seeks to bounce back after surrogacy scandal
1h ago
More areas in south-western France under evacuation orders as wildfire spreads
2h ago
Tell us: have you been affected by wildfires in Europe?
3h ago
Two wildfires near Madrid merged and formed a single blaze, authorities warn
3h ago
Dramatic satellite picture shows scale of wildfires in Spain
4h ago
EU to deploy four planes to Spain, three to France to assist local firefighters
5h ago
Two wildfires west of Madrid on the verge of merging, official warns
5h ago
Spanish firefighters battle to prevent ‘convergence’ of blazes, minister says
6h ago
France conducts total evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfire spreads
6h ago
Declaration of national emergency in Spain is a big deal – snap analysis
6h ago
South-east of France also hit by wildfires with 25 houses destroyed
6h ago
Over 110,000 hectares of land burned by forest fires in 2026, Spanish authorities say
6h ago
‘We are living through a dramatic situation,’ Spain’s Sánchez says on wildfires in Spain, France
6h ago
‘Extreme’ fire danger around Spain as authorities seek help in battling wildfires
6h ago
Spain requests support through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism as it battles wildfires
7h ago
Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, and explosions reported in Kyiv – monitoring
7h ago
Evacuation of Cap Ferret in France – in pictures
7h ago
40,000 people ‘evacuated or being evacuated’ in French wildfire in Gironde, minister says
7h ago
France orders evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as thousands flee wildfires
Closing summaryJakub Krupa
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.
More than 80,000 people have fled huge wildfires in Spain and France as Madrid declared a national emergency and French authorities ordered the total evacuation, by land and sea, of one of the country’s best-known holiday spots.
Thousands evacuated in south of France as wildfire rages across pine forest – video
Both countries have triggered the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism to get help with battling the blaze (9:48, 10:53, 13:24).
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez warned the country faced “a dramatic situation,” after a rare decision to declare a rare state of national emergency (11:03, 11:31), and satellite pictures showing the scale of devastation (13:59).
In other news,
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered its airspace on Friday, president Nicușor Dan said, with authorities investigating its origin (16:30).
Germany’s embattled and deeply unpopular chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sought to turn a scandal into an opportunity with a mini cabinet reshuffle (16:08), as he desperately hopes to turn his rock-bottom poll ratings around.
Poland’s main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has split, after former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his allies said they were forced out (16:21) over factional disagreements on policy direction ahead of next year’s parliamentary election.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
ShareSpanish authorities worry about blazes in Madrid and Ávila merging
Sam Jones
in Madrid
Spanish authorities are also worried about the prospect of the blazes in Madrid and Ávila coming together to form a single fire.
Smoke and flames rise as a wildfire advances near La Adrada, Ávila province, Spain. Photograph: Manu Fernández/AP
On Friday afternoon, Nicanor Sen, the central government’s delegate to the Castilla y León region – which lies to the northwest of Madrid – said there was “very little time left” before the fires could merge.
ShareSpain’s far-right party falsely claims wildfires are not linked to climate emergencySam Jones
in Madrid
Spain’s far-right Vox party is adamant that the current wildfires have nothing to do with the climate emergency and everything to do with a failure to clear rural areas of excess vegetation and to invest in firefighting services.
View of a column of smoke from a wildfire in Pelayos de la Presa, near Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Mariscal/EPA
In a post on X, they have said:
“It’s not climate change, it’s the lack of clearing of the woodlands and the means to combat the fires.”
But as Spanish wildfire experts have pointed out, the reality is a little more complicated than that.
Here’s some detail from one of our stories yesterday:
“Spanish wildfire scientists said they were not surprised by the extreme figures as the abandonment of rural land had left more overgrown vegetation and the rise in temperatures from climate breakdown made it easier for such plant matter to dry out and burn.
Víctor Resco de Dios, a professor of forestry engineering and global change at the University of Lleida, said:
‘Although it’s difficult to predict how far things might go, we will soon be unable to rule out Dantesque scenarios like those seen in California or Australia, with fires or fire complexes reaching hundreds of thousands of hectares or even a million hectares.’”
Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has been blunt in highlighting the deadly role played by the climate emergency. He has also repeatedly urged other parties to agree a “state pact” to tackle the changing climate.
“It’s not just about reacting when these fires hit; it’s also about preventing them, building perimeters, and about teaching people how to react when a fire – or any of the civil emergencies that are unfortunately becoming more common – hits,” he said in the aftermath of this month’s deadly fires in Almería.
He added:
“I’ve said it many times before, but the climate emergency kills. We’re seeing that across Europe and we’re seeing that in Spain.”
It’s also worth reading this piece by our colleague Ajit Niranjan on the causes of Spain’s growing wildfires:
ShareJakub Krupa
Back to the wildfires in France and Spain…
ShareRussian strikes kill 10 in Kyiv, hit Latvian consulate in Sloviansk
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine’s Kyiv region killed 10 people and injured close to 100 others at a site where a defence industry event was being held, Ukrainian officials and industry representatives said.
Ukrainian rescuers working at the site of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv’s region, Ukraine. Photograph: State Emergency Service/EPA
A Russian aerial bomb also killed five people in the frontline city of Sloviansk and damaged Latvia’s honorary consulate there.
Latvia’s president Edgars Rinkēvičs said the attack on the consulate was “yet another Russian war crime.” “We will continue to support the work of our honorary consul Oleksandr Pavenko, and all who remain on the frontlines helping their people,” he added.
European Council president António Costa said the strike was “a grave and unacceptable act.” “I strongly condemn this strike, which claimed lives and left many injured,” he said.
Two men walk among debris at the site of an air attack in Sloviansk, Donetsk region of Ukraine. Photograph: UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE/AFP/Getty Images
The latest strikes comes as the White House confirmed that US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday, as first revealed by the rightwing US influencer Laura Loomer, who has previously minimised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amplified Kremlin propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers on social media, but is now in Kyiv and supports Ukraine.
ShareRomania investigates origin of drone shot down over its territory
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that had entered its airspace on Friday, president Nicușor Dan said.
Romania’s president Nicușor Dan pictured during his visit to Kyiv earlier this month. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Dan did not specify the origin of the drone and said an investigation was under way.
The army’s chief of staff, Gheorghiță Vlad, said the drone visually “looked to be a Shahed type,” but warned it was too early to draw conclusions.
Fragments of the drone fell on a wheat field but caused no damage or injuries, the prefect of Buzau County told reporters.
An army source told Reuters: “There is an ongoing investigation to determine the origin of the drone. But in this part of the world it is Russia that is the attacker.”
Reuters pointed out that Romania has reported multiple breaches of its airspace by Russian drones since Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube River following its full-scale invasion in 2022.
In late May, a drone crashed into an apartment building in the town of Galati, injuring two people.
ShareJakub Krupa
Earlier today I said I would keep an eye on the drone incident in Romania and the latest Russian attacks on Kyiv.
Let’s update you on both then.
SharePoland’s main rightwing opposition splits after loyalty pledge ultimatumJakub Krupa
Poland’s main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has split, after former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his allies said they were forced out over factional disagreements on policy direction ahead of next year’s parliamentary election.
Former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks during a press conference at the Polish parliament building in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Radek Pietruszka/EPA
Speaking at a press conference, the party’s longtime leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, said dozens of members of parliament effectively left the party after refusing to sign a loyalty oath.
All those who refused to sign the pledge were deemed by Kaczyński to have effectively resigned from the party. The rebel MPs insisted they did not intend to leave, but conceded they may be formally expelled at a party meeting on Tuesday.
“Everyone knew what they were signing, and at the same time everyone knew what the consequences of not signing would be … It’s all done,” Kaczyński said, adding that the decision will be formally processed during the party’s leadership meeting on Tuesday.
Leader of the main opposition party Law and Justice Jarosław Kaczynski speaks during a press conference at the PiS’s headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Leszek Szymański/EPA
Law and Justice is one of Poland’s two most successful political parties since 1989, having ruled the country for 10 years in 2005-2007 and 2015-2023, with its candidates winning four out of eight presidential elections.
Despite losing to a coalition of pro-European parties led by former European Council president Donald Tusk and going into opposition at the last election in 2023, PiS remained the largest party in the Polish parliament – a status it could lose as a result of the split.
The resignations come after months of increasingly bitter disagreements in Poland’s main opposition party as it lost its grip on the Polish right.
ShareGermany’s Merz reshuffles top team as he seeks to bounce back after surrogacy scandal
Deborah Cole
in Berlin
Germany’s embattled and deeply unpopular chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sought to turn a scandal into an opportunity with a mini cabinet reshuffle on Friday.
Health minister Nina Warken, who recently spearheaded a tricky cost-cutting drive in what Merz called the biggest sector of the German economy, will become his chief of staff. That will bring a rare woman into Merz’s political inner circle and make her the first female to manage affairs at the chancellery in the history of the federal republic.
This round of musical chairs in Berlin will see the former chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, become head of the parliamentary group of Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). The party’s general secretary Carsten Linnemann, will replace Warken at the health ministry, leaving him to implement the reforms she boxed through parliament this month.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz, flanked by Nina Warken, and outgoing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Secretary General Carsten Linnemann leave after a press statement on changes in the German cabinet in Berlin. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA
Merz said he’d announce more changes in the coming days, with widespread speculation transport minister Patrick Schnieder will be out given disappointment with his efforts to modernize the rail network and other crucial infrastructure despite a big public funding injection.
Philipp Amthor, a media-savvy former regional head of the CDU’s youth wing, was tapped as new state minister responsible for managing the federal government’s relations with Germany’s 16 states.
Merz said his new lineup “follows a clear trajectory”.
“We want a government that works with great vigour and pleasure and reflects the diversity of our society and politics. We are a reform government and we want to keep demonstrating that.”
The whole chapter, which in the terms of German politics went off at lightning speed, began just over a week ago. The ambitious head of the CDU parliamentary group, Jens Spahn, announced that he and his husband had welcomed a baby born to a surrogate in the United States.
The news drew immediate accusations of hypocrisy given Spahn’s outspoken opposition to surrogacy, which is illegal in Germany. He initially indicated his desire to ride out the storm but by last Saturday, Merz withdrew his support and Spahn resigned.
Many in Berlin saw the chance for Merz to reorder his personnel as an opportunity given his rock-bottom poll ratings and the surge of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party ahead of three key state elections in September.
Merz, who has a rash streak coupled with uneven communication skills, is the most disliked federal chancellor in postwar history.
Coupled with an economic reform drive that he recently unveiled, Merz is using the reshuffle to signal a fresh start to German voters who, polls show, have lost confidence in his government’s ability to jumpstart the ailing economy and map a return to strength for the EU’s biggest nation.
ShareJakub Krupa
Let’s take a quick look at other news from across Europe.
ShareMore areas in south-western France under evacuation orders as wildfire spreads
More areas in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France see evacuation orders, with the local authorities telling residents of Arès, Andernos, Le Temple and Saumos to leave as a precautionary measure.
Smoke rises behind the town hall during a forest fire near Lège-Cap-Ferret, southwest France. Photograph: First Eye/ABACA/ShutterstockSmoke and fire around graves in a cemetery during a forest fire near Lège Cap Ferret, southwest France. Photograph: First Eye/ABACA/ShutterstockA gas cylinder explodes as a forest fire reaches a house on the outskirts of Lege-Cap-Ferret, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Photograph: Duprat Stephane/ABACA/ShutterstockShareTell us: have you been affected by wildfires in Europe?
As wildfires are burning in parts of the UK and Europe, forcing people to leave their homes, disrupting travel and affecting communities, we would like to hear how the fires have impacted you.
Fumaroles rise from the ground in peat bog forests affected by the Saumos fire in Lege-Cap-Ferret, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Photograph: Duprat Stephane/ABACA/Shutterstock
Have you had to evacuate your home? How are you coping? Are you living with smoke, poor air quality or the threat of evacuation? We would like to hear about your experiences.
“The smoke was incredibly thick. You couldn’t breathe,” José Cobos, who fled his home west of Madrid with his wife and three dogs, told Spanish private broadcaster Antena 3.
A column of smoke from a wildfire rises over the skyline in Pelayos de la Presa municipality, Community of Madrid, Spain, 24 July 2026. Photograph: MARISCAL/EPA
Only emergency vehicles were allowed on roads near the blaze, while police set up checkpoints to prevent unauthorised access, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
From the Temple of Debod park, on the western edge of central Madrid overlooking the city’s outskirts, a thick plume of grey smoke could be seen rising above the horizon as wildfires burnt about 60 kilometres (40 miles) away.
Dora Fernandez, a 57-year-old nurse walking her dog in the park, said she was not worried despite the scale of the blaze.
“It’s far from here,” she said, adding firefighters “know how to stop it”.
Updated at 09.22 EDT
Sam Jones
in Madrid
“This is the worst fire in the history of the Madrid region,” according to Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the regional president. Speaking at an emergency command post in the southwestern municipality of Cenicientos on Friday, Ayuso said the area was experiencing “a perfect storm, with extremely high temperatures, a relentless wind and the misfortune of having several fire fronts join together”.
She described the situation and the merging of different blazes as “completely unusual and catastrophic”, and said 19,000 people had been evacuated or ordered to remain confined to their homes in the region. She added: “The priority now is saving lives and saving the homes of thousands of people who are caught up in this catastrophe.”
Ayuso said the coordination with the central government was going well and defended her decision to ask it to step in, declare a national emergency and take overall control.
Smoke from a wildfire rises over the skyline in Pelayos de la Presa municipality, Community of Madrid, Spain, 24 July 2026. Photograph: MARISCAL/EPA
“I think it’s absolutely necessary for several reasons,” she said. “First, because we’re talking about a mechanism established by law; stipulated by the law itself. We’re talking about three autonomous regions and a risk to life. And when there’s this volume of people confined or displaced – there are nursing homes and health centres that have had to be evacuated – and that’s precisely when the central government needs to be present.”
Updated at 09.22 EDT