- EU officials have said wildfires could still be burning until early November in what threatens to be a record-breaking year for the area of land burned.
- Authorities are battling two separate fires north-west of Madrid, taking the total area of scorched land near the capital to 70,000 hectares.
- A fire in the hilly terrain of Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain's largest on record, burning 50,000 hectares (123,000 acres).
- The Gironde fire in France has so far burned 42,000 hectares, making it one of the biggest devastations of land in France since the second world war.
- The vast fire in France has triggered the evacuation of 220,000 people and remains not contained and very complicated to control.
- The EU has dispatched seven planes and four helicopters to France, as well as six planes and three forest firefighting teams to Spain, after the countries triggered the bloc's emergency assistance mechanism.
- Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Monday and Tuesday were absolutely crucial days before temperatures rise again from Wednesday onwards.
- France was also in a race against time to control wildfires before another heatwave this week, said Eric Brocardi, a fire service spokesperson.
- More than 116,000 hectares of forest and vegetation have been burned since January, far exceeding the 70,000 hectares reported for the whole of 2025.
- The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, told a climate conference the wildfires were not isolated incidents, stating, “It is the most painful manifestation of a climate emergency.”
Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, emphasized that Monday and Tuesday were “absolutely crucial days” as temperatures are expected to rise again.7
In Spain, a fire in Ávila has become the largest on record, burning 50,000 hectares (123,000 acres). Authorities are battling two separate fires near Madrid, with a total area of 70,000 hectares scorched.239
Meanwhile, France is racing against time to control wildfires before another heatwave, with the Gironde fire burning 42,000 hectares, marking one of the biggest devastations since World War II.4
The vast fire has led to the evacuation of 220,000 people and remains “not contained” and “very complicated to control,” according to spokesperson Nuñez.5
Since January, more than 116,000 hectares of forest and vegetation have burned in Spain, far exceeding the 70,000 hectares reported for the whole of 2025.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that these wildfires are not isolated incidents, highlighting the ongoing climate crisis.10
The EU has activated its emergency assistance mechanism, dispatching firefighting resources to both countries as they face unprecedented challenges in managing the wildfires.
“Spain's largest wildfire in Ávila has scorched 50,000 hectares, while the Gironde fire in France has burned 42,000 hectares, leading to 220,000 evacuations. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized the wildfires as a painful manifestation of a climate emergency, highlighting the urgent need for action.”
The Guardian
