Spain declares state of emergency as France invokes EU civil protection mechanism amid wildfires
With burnt land area in the EU reaching the second-highest level on record, Spain and France are deploying significant resources to contain fires driven by extreme heat and strong winds.
Spain has declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region as severe wildfires, fuelled by extreme heat and strong winds, continue to sweep across western Europe. The move comes as more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in the area over recent days, with emergency services issuing alert messages to residents in Aldea del Fresno, west of Madrid, ordering them to leave.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron invoked the European Union’s civil protection mechanism to request assistance, warning that the crisis remains "very intense". The European Union has responded by deploying three water-bombing aircraft to support French efforts, a move confirmed by EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib. The deployment highlights the scale of the challenge facing French authorities, who are battling blazes in pine forests near Bordeaux and dealing with dozens of fires flaring in the south-east.
Around Bordeaux, more than 20,000 people, mostly tourists staying in campsites and holiday lets, have been evacuated since Wednesday. Firefighters are currently battling the fire "house by house" to protect the tourist hub of Lège-Cap-Ferret, although the blaze is not yet fully under control further south. Two firefighters died on Tuesday while tackling a separate blaze near Bordeaux Airport, adding to the toll of three firefighter fatalities across southern Europe.
In France’s south-east, the historic village of Cotignac has been hard hit by fires fanned by the mistral wind, with officials reporting that around 25 houses have been destroyed since Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Italy, authorities in the Calabria region allege that arsonists started fires by tying rags soaked in flammable liquid to the tails of stray cats. One firefighter died in Sicily after falling ill while battling flames there.
Satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) indicates that the total area of land burnt in EU countries this year is the second largest on record. Climatologists from the World Weather Attribution group published a study on Thursday linking the severity of European droughts and fire frequency to climate change caused by fossil fuel burning.
In Spain, civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told Spanish radio that climate change is destroying villages and natural heritage, warning that some fires are so intense that firefighters stand "no chance" despite the deployment of aircraft and ground crews. Hundreds of firefighters and troops are still struggling to contain a larger wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid, while specialist crews work to contain a blaze near Toledo.
Barcones noted that conditions at the Guadalajara blaze were improving but cautioned that strong winds and extreme heat remain a significant danger. As temperatures topped 40C in some areas, the coordinated response across Spain, France, and Italy underscores the institutional challenges posed by the worsening fire season.
