More than 360,000 people have been evacuated from southern Europe, with millions more advised to avoid the worst-hit areas as wildfires have destroyed a land mass the size of Cornwall. Over 250,000 residents left their homes in France, while another 116,000 were forced to flee the area around Madrid in Spain. The flames came within seven miles of Bordeaux, a major wine-making and tourism hub, disrupting summer holiday plans for tens of thousands of Britons.
Fire Severity Record High
Helicopters dropped water across vast forest areas as more than 42,000 hectares of land burned in southern France due to intense heat. Experts report that the number of wildfires and the scale of damage across EU countries so far in 2026 are well above average. As of 22 July, 1,325 fires had burned 378,000 hectares of land, an area larger than Cornwall.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that wildfires were spreading across southern Europe, with another heatwave predicted that week, during which temperatures were expected to reach 40°C (104°F).
Overall, European fires so far in 2026 have been more uncontrollable than ever. Fire severity, a measure of how difficult fires are to control, is the highest for this point in the year since records began in 1980. The week of 15–22 July was the most destructive July week on record, with more than 180,000 hectares burned across EU countries. Nearly half (48%) of all land damage this year occurred in that single week.
Witness Account
Jo Barnes and her family had a near miss when a wildfire near the town of Cotignac in southern France came within metres of her house. They first saw smoke on Tuesday, and emergency services initially told them the fire was under control, but by evening it had changed direction and rapidly moved towards her property. She told the BBC: "A wall of orange flames came roaring up over the hill. On Friday afternoon the fire came back to our area... within 10 metres of the back of our house, we have a gas tank here, it was all very dramatic." They returned to find their house intact despite the surrounding hillside being burnt and completely black. The fire west of Bordeaux has ravaged 42,000 hectares of forest — an area larger than the Isle of Wight — and destroyed 240 homes since Wednesday, authorities said.
Travel Advice
The UK government has not specifically warned against travel to anywhere in France or Spain, but it does advise caution. Chris Bose, director of general insurance policy at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), said: "For those in an affected area of France or Spain or planning to travel there, the UK government recommends following instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times. If your travel plans are disrupted by a wildfire and your policy includes trip disruption cover, travel insurance may cover some of the resulting costs."
Only half of travel insurance policies have "catastrophe" cover, according to analysis from marketing experts Defaqto. Refunds from your airline, tour operator or accommodation provider may be the best option, according to the ABI.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that around 150,000 hectares had burned across the country so far this year, six times the area destroyed by wildfires at the same point in 2025. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez says firefighters are facing an "unprecedented" situation in Gironde, battling a fire that "has a life of its own." Speaking after a government crisis meeting, he said weather conditions and the composition of the forests are causing the wildfire to behave in an erratic manner. He said: "It is autonomous, self-sustaining, and spreads in all directions. So it is a fire that's difficult to control." It burned through 40,000 hectares of land already — nearly double the total area burned by Gironde wildfires in 2022. Gironde is on France's west coast.
