![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\nFrance orders evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as thousands flee wildfiresJakub Krupa<\/p>\n
Thousands of people have been forced to flee parts of south-west France<\/a> amid worsening wildfires that prompted the authorities to order people to evacuate from the Cap Ferret peninsula along the Atlantic coast.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n More than 10,000 hectares are affected by the two concurrent wildfires, which last night crossed the firebreak established by firefighters.<\/p>\n The French authorities formally requested the activation of the European Union\u2019s Civil Protection Mechanism to tap into the bloc\u2019s resources as they battle the fires, with Emmanuel Macron saying the situation remained \u201cvery intense.\u201d<\/p>\n The EU\u2019s crisis commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, confirmed that \u201cfollowing France\u2019s activation of the EU\u2019s civil protection mechanism, the EU is providing assistance and deploying 3 water bomber aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n I will bring you all the updates here.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Friday, 24 July 2026, it\u2019s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.<\/p>\n Good morning.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3m ago<\/p>\n Closing summary<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10m ago<\/p>\n Spanish authorities worry about blazes in Madrid and \u00c1vila merging<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 31m ago<\/p>\n Spain’s far-right party falsely claims wildfires are not linked to climate emergency<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 37m ago<\/p>\n Russian strikes kill 10 in Kyiv, hit Latvian consulate in Sloviansk<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 43m ago<\/p>\n Romania investigates origin of drone shot down over its territory<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 52m ago<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s main rightwing opposition splits after loyalty pledge ultimatum<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Germany’s Merz reshuffles top team as he seeks to bounce back after surrogacy scandal<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n More areas in south-western France under evacuation orders as wildfire spreads<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Tell us: have you been affected by wildfires in Europe?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Two wildfires near Madrid merged and formed a single blaze, authorities warn<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Dramatic satellite picture shows scale of wildfires in Spain<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n EU to deploy four planes to Spain, three to France to assist local firefighters<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Two wildfires west of Madrid on the verge of merging, official warns<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Spanish firefighters battle to prevent ‘convergence’ of blazes, minister says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n France conducts total evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfire spreads<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Declaration of national emergency in Spain is a big deal – snap analysis<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n South-east of France also hit by wildfires with 25 houses destroyed<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Over 110,000 hectares of land burned by forest fires in 2026, Spanish authorities say<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n ‘We are living through a dramatic situation,’ Spain’s S\u00e1nchez says on wildfires in Spain, France<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n ‘Extreme’ fire danger around Spain as authorities seek help in battling wildfires<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Spain requests support through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism as it battles wildfires<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, and explosions reported in Kyiv – monitoring<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Evacuation of Cap Ferret in France – in pictures<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n 40,000 people ‘evacuated or being evacuated’ in French wildfire in Gironde, minister says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n France orders evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as thousands flee wildfires<\/p>\n <\/a>Closing summary And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s best-known holiday spots.<\/p>\n Both countries have triggered the EU\u2019s Civil Protection Mechanism to get help with battling the blaze (9:48<\/a>, 10:53<\/a>, 13:24<\/a>).<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez warned the country faced \u201ca dramatic situation,\u201d after a rare decision to declare a rare state of national emergency (11:03<\/a>, 11:31<\/a>), and satellite pictures showing the scale of devastation (13:59<\/a>).<\/p>\n In other news,<\/p>\n A Romanian \u2060F-16 fighter jet shot down \u2060a drone \u200bthat had entered its airspace on Friday, president Nicu\u0219or Dan said, with authorities investigating its origin (16:30<\/a>).<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s embattled and deeply unpopular chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sought to turn a scandal into an opportunity with a mini cabinet reshuffle (16:08<\/a>), as he desperately hopes to turn his rock-bottom poll ratings around.<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s 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<\/a>) over factional disagreements on policy direction ahead of next year\u2019s parliamentary election.<\/p>\n If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.<\/p>\n I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Spanish authorities worry about blazes in Madrid and \u00c1vila merging in Madrid<\/p>\n Spanish authorities are also worried about the prospect of the blazes in Madrid and \u00c1vila coming together to form a single fire.<\/p>\n Smoke and flames rise as a wildfire advances near La Adrada, \u00c1vila province, Spain. Photograph: Manu Fern\u00e1ndez\/AP<\/p>\n On Friday afternoon, Nicanor Sen, the central government\u2019s delegate to the Castilla y Le\u00f3n region \u2013 which lies to the northwest of Madrid \u2013 said there was \u201cvery little time left\u201d before the fires could merge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Spain’s far-right party falsely claims wildfires are not linked to climate emergency in Madrid<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n View of a column of smoke from a wildfire in Pelayos de la Presa, near Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Mariscal\/EPA<\/p>\n In a post on X, they have said<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not climate change, it\u2019s the lack of clearing of the woodlands and the means to combat the fires.\u201d<\/p>\n But as Spanish wildfire experts have pointed out, the reality is a little more complicated than that.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s some detail from one of our stories yesterday<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cSpanish 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.<\/p>\n V\u00edctor Resco de Dios, a professor of forestry engineering and global change at the University of Lleida, said: <\/p>\n \u2018Although it\u2019s 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.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s socialist prime minister, Pedro S\u00e1nchez, has been blunt in highlighting the deadly role played by the climate emergency. He has also repeatedly urged other parties to agree a \u201cstate pact\u201d to tackle the changing climate<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about reacting when these fires hit; it\u2019s also about preventing them, building perimeters, and about teaching people how to react when a fire \u2013 or any of the civil emergencies that are unfortunately becoming more common \u2013 hits,\u201d he said in the aftermath of this month\u2019s deadly fires in Almer\u00eda.<\/a><\/p>\n He added:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve said it many times before, but the climate emergency kills. We\u2019re seeing that across Europe and we\u2019re seeing that in Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth reading this piece by our colleague Ajit Niranjan on the causes of Spain\u2019s growing wildfires:<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Back to the wildfires in France and Spain\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Russian strikes kill 10 in Kyiv, hit Latvian consulate in Sloviansk<\/p>\n A \u2060Russian ballistic missile strike on Friday in Ukraine\u2019s Kyiv region killed 10 people \u2060and injured close to \u2060100 \u200bothers at a site where a defence industry event was being held, Ukrainian \u2060officials and industry representatives said.<\/p>\n Ukrainian rescuers working at the site of a Russian missile strike in Kyiv’s region, Ukraine. Photograph: State Emergency Service\/EPA<\/p>\n A Russian aerial bomb also killed five people in the frontline city of Sloviansk and damaged Latvia\u2019s honorary consulate there.<\/p>\n Latvia\u2019s president Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds said the attack on the consulate was \u201cyet another Russian war crime.\u201d \u201cWe will continue to support the work of our honorary consul Oleksandr Pavenko, and all who remain on the frontlines helping their people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n European Council president Ant\u00f3nio Costa said the strike was \u201ca grave and unacceptable act.\u201d \u201cI strongly condemn this strike, which claimed lives and left many injured,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n 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\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and amplified Kremlin propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers on social media, but is now in Kyiv and supports Ukraine.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Romania investigates origin of drone shot down over its territory<\/p>\n A Romanian \u2060F-16 fighter jet shot down \u2060a drone \u200bthat had entered its airspace on Friday, president Nicu\u0219or Dan said.<\/p>\n Romania’s president Nicu\u0219or Dan pictured during his visit to Kyiv earlier this month. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko\/Reuters<\/p>\n Dan did not specify the origin of the drone and said an investigation was under way.<\/p>\n The army\u2019s chief of staff, Gheorghi\u021b\u0103 Vlad, said the drone visually \u201clooked to be a Shahed type,\u201d but warned it was too early to draw conclusions.<\/p>\n Fragments of the drone fell on a wheat field but caused \u2060no damage or injuries, the prefect of Buzau County told reporters.<\/p>\n An army source told Reuters: \u201cThere is an ongoing \u2060investigation to determine the origin of the drone. But in this part of the world it is \u200bRussia that is the attacker.\u201d<\/p>\n Reuters pointed out that Romania has reported multiple breaches \u200bof its airspace by Russian drones since Moscow began attacking Ukrainian ports across the \u200bDanube River following \u200cits full-scale invasion in 2022.<\/p>\n In \u200blate May, a drone \u200bcrashed into an apartment building in the town of Galati, injuring two people.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Earlier today I said I would keep an eye on the drone incident in Romania and the latest Russian attacks on Kyiv.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s update you on both then.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Poland\u2019s main rightwing opposition splits after loyalty pledge ultimatum Poland\u2019s 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\u2019s parliamentary election.<\/p>\n Former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks during a press conference at the Polish parliament building in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Radek Pietruszka\/EPA<\/p>\n Speaking at a press conference, the party\u2019s longtime leader<\/a>, Jaros\u0142aw Kaczy\u0144ski, said dozens of members of parliament effectively left the party after refusing to sign a loyalty oath.<\/p>\n All those who refused to sign the pledge were deemed by Kaczy\u0144ski 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.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone knew what they were signing, and at the same time everyone knew what the consequences of not signing would be \u2026 It\u2019s all done,\u201d Kaczy\u0144ski said, adding that the decision will be formally processed during the party\u2019s leadership meeting on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Leader of the main opposition party Law and Justice Jaros\u0142aw Kaczynski speaks during a press conference at the PiS’s headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Leszek Szyma\u0144ski\/EPA<\/p>\n Law and Justice is one of Poland\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 a status it could lose as a result of the split.<\/p>\n The resignations come after months of increasingly bitter disagreements in Poland\u2019s main opposition party as it lost its grip on the Polish right.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Germany’s Merz reshuffles top team as he seeks to bounce back after surrogacy scandal in Berlin<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s embattled and deeply unpopular chancellor, Friedrich Merz, sought to turn a scandal into an opportunity with a mini cabinet reshuffle on Friday.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s political inner circle<\/a> and make her the first female to manage affairs at the chancellery in the history of the federal republic.<\/p>\n This round of musical chairs in Berlin will see the former chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, become head of the parliamentary group of Merz\u2019s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). The party\u2019s general secretary Carsten Linnemann, will replace Warken at the health ministry, leaving him to implement the reforms she boxed through parliament this month.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n Merz said he\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n Philipp Amthor, a media-savvy former regional head of the CDU\u2019s youth wing, was tapped as new state minister responsible for managing the federal government\u2019s relations with Germany\u2019s 16 states.<\/p>\n Merz said his new lineup \u201cfollows a clear trajectory\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The news drew immediate accusations of hypocrisy given Spahn\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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 f\u00fcr Deutschland party ahead of three key state elections in September.<\/p>\n Merz, who has a rash streak coupled with uneven communication skills, is the most disliked federal chancellor in postwar history.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s ability to jumpstart the ailing economy and map a return to strength for the EU\u2019s biggest nation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Let\u2019s take a quick look at other news from across Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>More areas in south-western France under evacuation orders as wildfire spreads<\/p>\n More areas in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France<\/a> see evacuation orders, with the local authorities telling residents of Ar\u00e8s, Andernos, Le Temple and Saumos to leave as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n Smoke rises behind the town hall during a forest fire near L\u00e8ge-Cap-Ferret, southwest France. Photograph: First Eye\/ABACA\/ShutterstockSmoke and fire around graves in a cemetery during a forest fire near L\u00e8ge 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\/ShutterstockShare<\/a>Tell us: have you been affected by wildfires in Europe?<\/p>\n As wildfires are burning in parts of the UK and Europe<\/a>, forcing people to leave their homes, disrupting travel and affecting communities, we would like to hear how the fires have impacted you.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe smoke was incredibly thick. You couldn\u2019t breathe,\u201d Jos\u00e9 Cobos, who fled his home west of Madrid with his wife and three dogs, told Spanish private broadcaster Antena 3.<\/p>\n 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<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n From the Temple of Debod park, on the western edge of central Madrid overlooking the city\u2019s outskirts, a thick plume of grey smoke could be seen rising above the horizon as wildfires burnt about 60 kilometres (40 miles) away.<\/p>\n Dora Fernandez, a 57-year-old nurse walking her dog in the park, said she was not worried despite the scale of the blaze.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s far from here,\u201d she said, adding firefighters \u201cknow how to stop it\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5685.jpg\")
A French Civil Security Canadair CL-415 aircraft sprays water on a forest surrounding Cotignac, southeastern France. Photograph: Thibaud Moritz\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Holidaymakers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4390.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2947.jpg\")
A wall of flames advances as a wildfire burns near Burgohondo, in \u00c1vila province, Spain. Photograph: Mateo Lanzuela\/Europa Press\/AP<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\n![\"Thousands](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905993_314_6000.jpg\")
Thousands evacuated in south of France as wildfire rages across pine forest \u2013\u00a0video<\/p>\n![\"Sam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sam_Jones.png\")
Sam Jones<\/p>\nSam Jones<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\n![\"Deborah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Deborah_Cole_2.png\")
Deborah Cole<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\n