Thousands of hectares of charred forest, destroyed houses and evacuated populations bear witness to the scale of the historic fires ravaging Spain and France, where a new heatwave already threatens to reignite the flames on Tuesday.
As of Monday, 220,000 people had been evacuated and 116,000 hectares had been burned in France.
This aerial view shows damaged houses in a burned area in the commune of Porge, following a forest fire in the Gironde department, southwest France, on July 27, 2026.
AFP
“It will either be the worst year in terms of areas burned for France, or the second,” says Journal Jonathan Antoine Lesven, post-doctoral student in paleoecology at the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The historical record is estimated at 131,000 hectares in 1949.
Several bicycles were burned after the evacuation of residents from the Le Grand-Crohot Océan campsite, in Lège-Cap-Ferret (southwest of France).
AFP
In Porge, between Cap Ferret and Bordeaux, aerial images bear witness to the violence of the fire with rows of ravaged houses, charred cars and completely destroyed buildings. In all, 240 houses were razed by the blaze in Gironde.
“A motorway is also closed near Bordeaux and rail traffic is almost completely interrupted,” continues Mr. Lesven.
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French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Monday of the need to replant a forest adapted to climate change once everything is finished. “We will have to, we know, replant and rebuild a different forest. »
In Spain, the largest fire ever recorded ravaged 77,000 hectares and forced nearly 100,000 people to confine themselves or evacuate.
View of the charred marina building near the El Ancla dock on the San Juan reservoir, following a forest fire in Pelayos de la Presa (community of Madrid, Spain), July 27, 2026.
AFP
In their path, the flames destroyed wooded areas, campsites, restaurants, outdoor bars, cars and homes around Madrid and Avila, according to the media. The Country.
A new heatwave
A short-term lull this weekend helped stabilize the fires and slow their progression near Bordeaux and Madrid.
But a resumption of the flames is to be feared from Tuesday, since a fourth heatwave of the year is expected in France with maximum temperatures expected to reach 40 ° C and dry winds.
View of the burned El Ancla pier at the San Juan reservoir, following a forest fire in Pelayos de la Presa (community of Madrid, Spain), July 27, 2026.
AFP
“All the conditions are met for a resumption of the fire,” warned Philippe de Gonneville, mayor of Lège-Cap-Ferret, whose town has been hit from the start.
Spain is also preparing to experience a new heat wave from Wednesday, “at least” until Sunday, the National Meteorological Agency announced on Monday, warning of “extreme” risks of fires.
Race against time
Faced with the scale of the threat, France has mobilized 2,750 firefighters, in addition to deploying ten Centaure armored vehicles, which can travel over uneven terrain and clear obstacles.
The European Union will also provide reinforcements on Tuesday with nine planes and two helicopters.
Volunteer firefighters spray water into a roadside wooded area near Le Porge, southwest France, July 27, 2026 as a forest fire rages in Gironde.
AFP
“It’s a race against time that our teams are leading on site with obviously the French,” European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP.
On the ground, farmers are helping firefighters with tractors loaded with water while authorities are digging huge firebreaks in the forest to deprive the flames of fuel and protect areas still threatened.
– With AFP
