French authorities say the country’s largest wildfire has stopped spreading after forcing more than 220,000 people to evacuate in southwestern France, though officials caution the crisis is far from over as another heat wave approaches.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the blaze in the Gironde region remained stable overnight, marking the first significant progress since the fire erupted. However, he warned that changing weather conditions could quickly reignite its advance.
“It hasn’t progressed during the night,” Nuñez said. “We have to remain very concentrated, very determined.”
The wildfire has scorched an area four times the size of Paris, with flames at one point advancing to within 15 kilometres of Bordeaux. Fire-generated storms and lightning had previously fueled new outbreaks, complicating containment efforts.
No new evacuation orders were issued Monday, but authorities continue to urge residents and tourists to stay away from the region. Holiday camps for children and people with disabilities have also been suspended ahead of France’s busy August tourism season.
Thousands of firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft and heavy equipment, are racing to contain the blaze before temperatures climb again on Tuesday. Crews are creating firebreaks by clearing vegetation, while farmers are supplying water to emergency teams.
French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a crisis meeting on Monday to review the wildfire response and pledged continued support for affected communities.
Spain Also Battles Historic Wildfires
Neighbouring Spain is facing its own unprecedented wildfire emergency, with major blazes burning around Madrid and the Valencia region.
Authorities have evacuated approximately 76,000 people, while another 30,000 residents remain under confinement orders.
A wildfire in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest wildfire on record, burning about 500 square kilometres—roughly five times the area of Barcelona.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez linked the devastating fire season to climate change, saying increasingly frequent heat waves are making wildfires more destructive.
Spain has recorded 153 square kilometres of land burned so far this year, six times the area destroyed during the same period in 2025.
International Support Mobilized
Around a dozen countries have deployed aircraft, helicopters and firefighting crews to assist France and Spain. Combined, the wildfires in the two countries have forced more than 330,000 people to evacuate.
Italy is also battling a separate wildfire in the southern Puglia region, where approximately 300 tourists were evacuated from beaches and campgrounds as aircraft and ground crews continue firefighting operations.
Officials across southern Europe warn that forecast heat waves could further increase wildfire risks in the coming days, even as emergency crews make progress in containing the current blazes.
