Paris: Wildfires sweeping across France and Spain have forced the evacuation of around 260,000 people, with authorities ordering residents and holidaymakers to leave affected areas around Bordeaux and Madrid.Spanish authorities reported one fatality in a wildfire near Valencia in eastern Spain.In France, approximately 200,000 people were evacuated from their homes and holiday accommodation. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the operation as likely the largest civilian evacuation carried out in the country during peacetime.The French military has been deployed to support firefighting efforts, with 1,500 troops mobilised from Saturday evening.France also deployed an A400M military transport aircraft for firefighting operations for the first time. The aircraft is capable of dropping up to 20,000 litres of water or fire retardant on affected areas.Burned cars are seen in a forest near Lacanau, in the Lege-Cap-Ferret region, southwestern France, Saturday, July 25, 2026. APIn Spain, wildfires have burned around 25,000 hectares west of Madrid. Authorities said about 60,000 people in the Madrid region had been evacuated, according to the latest figures released by Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.Emergency services in both countries continue efforts to contain the fires as extreme conditions fuel their spread.
