![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785149172_27_6830.jpg\")
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister, makes a media statement Photograph: David Benito\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
He said<\/a> that around 3,000 emergency workers were in the area battling the blaze.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Over in Spain<\/a>, Francisco Mart\u00edn, the central government\u2019s representative in the Madrid region, has just told a media briefing that he was \u201ccautiously optimistic\u201d about the ongoing operation, but warned that the fire still remained out of control.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must seize this window of opportunity. We will defeat this fire.\u201d<\/p>\n But he also repeated his call for residents to follow instructions from local authorities to protect themselves from further fires.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘Weeks or months’ before French wildfires get completely extinguished, firefighters warn<\/p>\n Similar concerns about the impact a returning heatwave could have on firefighting operations were echoed in France<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lt Col David Annotel told RTL Radio this morning<\/a> that the fire in Gironde could last \u201cseveral weeks or months\u201d before it is fully extinguished, with reinforcements expected to be needed from across the country.<\/p>\n Satellite photograph shows plumes of smoke and burnt areas from the wildfire in Le Porge, France. Photograph: 2026 Planet Labs PBC\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Echoing comments made in Spain<\/a>, he said the next two to three days offer a chance to \u201ctake advantage\u201d of the weather conditions before the heatwave makes the situation more difficult to manage again.<\/p>\n He said it took months to extinguish a much smaller fire in Landiras in 2022, and he expected the same pattern to repeat happen here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Monday and Tuesday ‘decisive’ for Spain’s fight against wildfires, minister says<\/p>\n Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that Spain<\/a> faces two \u201cdecisive\u201d days to contain wildfires before the new heatwave hits the country, making the emergency response even trickier.<\/p>\n Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s interior minister, makes a media statement Photograph: David Benito\/Getty Images<\/p>\n He said<\/a> that around 3,000 emergency workers were in the area battling the blaze.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>170,000 hectares of forest land affected by wildfires in Spain since start of 2026<\/p>\n Provisional data on wildfires in Spain<\/a> shows that more than 170,000 hectares of forest land have been affected since the beginning of the year \u2013 a nearly sixfold increase on the almost 29,000 recorded in the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n Fire in the village of Castillo de Onda, Castellon, Spain. Photograph: Andreu Esteban\/EPA<\/p>\n 35 major fires have been recorded so far, up from just 11 last year.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Why Europe\u2019s wildfires are proving so fierce and difficult to stop<\/p>\n Brendan Wood A combination of an unusually wet winter, very low rainfall since spring and repeated record-breaking summer heatwaves is likely to explain why wildfires have ignited, spread and resisted control so readily across France<\/a> and Spain in recent days.<\/p>\n A large pine tree with its hollowed trunk still burning from the inside, is seen in a scorched forest following a wildfire near La Adrada, 95 kilometres west of Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Miguel Riopa\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n About 90% of wildfires are started by human activity, typically igniting \u201cfine fuels\u201d such as vegetation grass, pine needles, litter and twigs. And recent weather has almost certainly made ignition far easier. Drought in western Europe has turned this vegetation \u2013 which normally dries after only a few hours of heat and low rainfall \u2013 into tinder.<\/p>\n Fine fuel moisture code values climbed above the 96th percentile this month, while France and Spain\u2019s eighth-wettest winters on record left an abundance of fine fuel ready to burn.<\/p>\n Once established, fires can spread into heavier fuels including shrubs, roots and deeper litter if conditions are dry enough. These materials burn hotter and for longer, can smoulder long after flames appear to have extinguished and generate towering columns of superheated air capable of carrying embers far beyond the blaze.<\/p>\n Heavier fuels also take much longer to dry than fine fuel, but this year\u2019s prolonged dry spell and three record-breaking heatwaves have allowed them to dry substantially.<\/p>\n Winds may have also made the fires harder to predict. France\u2019s largest blaze, in Gironde, initially spread westwards towards the coast on an easterly breeze before winds abruptly turned westerly on Friday, driving the fire back towards Bordeaux. Fires of this scale can also generate their own strong, gusty winds, creating unpredictable behaviour that complicates firefighting efforts.<\/p>\n Showers and thunderstorms near the largest fires in France and Spain brought little rainfall on Saturday and may instead have made conditions worse. Rain evaporating beneath a storm cloud cools the air, making it denser, so that it rapidly sinks to the ground before spreading in all directions. These downdrafts can fuel sudden, erratic fire behaviour. Cloud-to-ground lightning without accompanying rainfall can also ignite new fires.<\/p>\n With increasingly high pressure expected to delay any meaningful \u2013 albeit unevenly distributed \u2013 rain until the end of the week, while increasing the likelihood of a fourth summer heatwave across much of Europe, the threat of further large wildfires is likely to persist into August.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Macron chairs emergency meeting on French wildfires<\/p>\n Over in Paris, French president Emmanuel Macron is now chairing an emergency meeting on wildfires in the country, flanked by prime minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu and interior minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez, who has been at the frontline of the state response over the weekend.<\/p>\n French president Emmanuel Macron, prime minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu, and interior minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez attend a meeting with members of the cabinet to discuss wildfires in the country, at the Hotel de Beauvau, headquarters of the Interior Ministry, in Paris, France. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier\/Reuters Pool\/APFrance’s president Emmanuel Macron and France’s prime minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu attend a meeting with members of the cabinet to discuss wildfires in the country, at the Hotel de Beauvau, headquarters of the Interior Ministry, in Paris, France. Photograph: Sarah Meyssonnier\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n We are expecting hear from Nu\u00f1ez later this morning \u2013 I will bring you the lines here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Europe is not prepared for consequences of climate change, senior EU commissioner warns<\/p>\n European Commission vice-president Teresa Ribera warned that Europe is not prepared for the consequences of climate change and said it would need to move faster to adapt to the climate emergency.<\/p>\n EU Commissioner Teresa Ribera Rodriguez talks to media in the Berlaymont, the EU Commission headquarters. Photograph: Thierry Monasse\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Ribera, a former minister in Sanchez\u2019s government in Spain, told El Pa\u00eds<\/a> that recent rail and electricity disruptions and pressures on health systems across the continent showed that Europe still needs to do more to prepare for what\u2019s coming in the future.<\/p>\n She said the European Commission was working towards a plan on climate change adaptation, to be approved in October, with a \u201cmore comprehensive and far-reaching update\u201d of measures taken so far.<\/p>\n Ribera said that \u201cgiven Europe is warming faster than the average for all continents,\u201d it needs to do more \u2013 and faster \u2013 to prepare for extreme weather events, like wildfires or floods, like in Valencia in October 2024.<\/p>\n Europe is the fastest-warming continent<\/a>Share<\/a>Madrid fire ‘slowed down’ but remains ‘active and uncontrolled,’ authorities say<\/p>\n Authorities in Madrid said<\/a> the spread of the fire overnight \u201cslowed down\u201d and \u201callowed firefighters to act on them,\u201d but it remains \u201cactive and uncontrolled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree fronts have been identified, with the most active one located north of the San Juan Reservoir. <\/p>\n Citizens are urged to continue exercising extreme caution and to stay informed about the situation\u2019s evolution through official sources.\u201d<\/p>\n An Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss aircraft dumps water over a wildfire burning near San Martin de Valdeiglesias, about 70km west of Madrid, on Sunday. Photograph: C\u00e9sar Manso\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>France facing ‘a race against time’ as temperatures set to soar again in Bordeaux<\/p>\n France is facing \u201ca race against time\u201d to control wildfires before heatwave temperatures soar again this week, said Eric Brocardi, a fire service spokesperson.<\/p>\n Firefighters battle a forest fire in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux, France. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Weather forecasters have warned that another heatwave could hit France from Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40C in some areas.<\/p>\n This would complicate efforts to control the wildfire in Gironde, south-western France, which the interior minister, Laurent Nu\u00f1ez described as \u201cextremely intense and unpredictable… generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gironde fire has so far burned 42,000 hectares, an area four times the size of Paris and one of the biggest devastations of land since the second world war.<\/p>\n Smoke from the fires is continuing to cause a \u201cmarked deterioration\u201d in air quality across a swathe of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and beyond, with health authorities issuing warnings about the danger.<\/p>\n Elderly people, pregnant women and those with respiratory issues and chronic conditions were advised to take precautions. Local health authorities said people should close windows, wear an FFP2 mask outside and avoid strenuous activity. The prime minister\u2019s office said more than 1.5 million FFP2 masks had been sent to the region.<\/p>\n A total of 220,000 people and 13,000 businesses have been evacuated in Gironde.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘Climate emergency kills,’ Spain’s S\u00e1nchez warns, as he says ‘full power of state’ will help affected by wildfires<\/p>\n In the last few minutes, Spanish prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said that \u201cthe full power of the state\u201d will support all people affected by the wildfires near Madrid.<\/p>\n Spanish prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez and Spanish Government Delegate in Madrid Francisco Martin visit the firefighters\u2019 control center in the village of Cenicientos, Madrid, Spain over the weekend. Photograph: MARISCAL\/EPA<\/p>\n Speaking at a climate conference in Madrid, S\u00e1nchez said<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are living through is not a series of isolated incidents. It is \u2026 the most painful manifestation of a climate emergency that is making \u2026 wildfires more voracious and heatwaves more frequent, and, as a result, our land more vulnerable. It is no longer an exception. It is the rule.\u201d<\/p>\n He warned that \u201cclimate emergency kills,\u201d and said the government needed to \u201ctackle the root causes\u201d and \u201canticipate the impacts\u201d better, accelerating its work on energy transition.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have made progress, unquestionably, but it is obvious that we must redouble our efforts, because scientific forecasts are being surpassed year after year,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.05 EDT<\/p>\n Firefighters battle to keep fire away from Bordeaux<\/p>\n Firefighters \u2060battled throughout the night \u2060and \u200binto Monday morning to tackle huge wildfires threatening the French city of Bordeaux, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n A firefighter stands before flames as a forest fire rages in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux, France. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThis \u200cis a fire of a size never seen before,\u201d said \u200cJ\u00e9r\u00f4me Steffe, mayor of Cestas, on Monday. Cestas is one of the suburbs that lies just outside the main Bordeaux city area and from where thousands have had to be evacuated from homes and holiday residences.<\/p>\n The blazes, which broke out \u200clast week near the Atlantic coast, are now 15 km (10 miles) away from entry points to the main \u200bmetropolitan area of Bordeaux.<\/p>\n So far \u200bin July, \u200chigh temperatures have \u200baveraged \u200b32.2 degrees Celsius in the Aquitaine region, which is 7.3C above the month\u2019s normal high between 1961 and 1990, according to Reuters Climate Monitor.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Wildfires in France and Spain – the latest<\/p>\n Angelique Chrisafis in Paris, Sam Jones in Madrid and Jennifer Rankin<\/p>\n Wildfires have forced about 375,000 people to flee their homes in France and Spain. In France nearly 260,000 have been forced to flee, while in neighbouring Spain 116,000 have been evacuated this week.<\/p>\n Bordeaux\u2019s mayor, Thomas Cazenave, described the Gironde blaze in France<\/a> as being \u201cat the gates of the metropolitan area\u201d, between 15 and 20 miles (25-30km) from the city itself, which has a population of 268,000. An evacuation of the city was not on the cards, he said.<\/p>\n The fire situation in Gironde remained \u201cbroadly stable overnight\u201d with no major developments, the local authority said on Monday. \u201cSecurity and emergency services remain fully mobilised and are continuing their operations on the ground,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Authorities in Spain<\/a> said major areas of fire near Madrid had been contained and cooled down, according to a senior officer with Spain\u2019s military emergencies unit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re facing some difficult hours, although it\u2019s true that the latest update has shown that last night was very positive in terms of the fire\u2019s evolution and efforts to control it,\u201d prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said.<\/p>\n Map of wildfires in France and Spain<\/a><\/p>\n The EU commissioner for crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, told the BBC it was likely that damage from wildfires would exceed previous records. \u201cLast year, one million hectares burned during the summer and so we are expecting to face another historic, sad record because the season has started earlier in the year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.44 EDT<\/p>\n Morning opening: France, Spain continue to battle dramatic fires French president Emmanuel Macron<\/a> is about to chair a crisis meeting on major wildfires that have seen over 250,000 flee their homes after another challenging night in the Gironde region.<\/p>\n Firefighters arrive at the scene to tackle a flare-up and limit its spread through the woodland in L’Ombri\u00e8re, Saint-Jean-d’Illac, Gironde, France. Photograph: Duprat Stephane\/ABACA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Local authorities said the situation was \u201cglobally stable\u201d overnight in a marked improvement on previous nights, but the situation on the ground remained difficult.<\/p>\n We are expecting to hear from France\u2019s interior minister, Laurent Nu\u00f1ez, after this morning\u2019s meetings and I will bring you his comments here.<\/p>\n
for MetDesk<\/p>\n![\"Angelique](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Angelique_Chrisafis.png\")
Angelique Chrisafis<\/p>\n![\"Firefighters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785149173_169_1920.jpg\")
Firefighters in Spain and France battle raging wildfires \u2013 video<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785149174_256_Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n