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France and Spain evacuate more than 300,000 as record wildfires spread

Political Guyentist · July 27, 20261 min read

ASSOCIATED PRESS

More than 300,000 hectares have burned across the two countries, with major fires in Gironde, Ávila and Castellón.
Currently showing Where the largest France and Spain wildfires are burning
Where the largest France and Spain wildfires are burning
France and Spain are having exceptional fire seasons Through July 27, 2026, about 116,000 hectares had burned in France, roughly 65 percent more than the little over 70,000 hectares burned in all of 2022. Spain reported 153,000 hectares burned, six times the area burned by the same point in 2025. The 50,000-hectare Ávila fire was Spain’s largest on record. France evacuated about 250,000 people; Spain evacuated about 79,000, while another 30,000 people in Spain were confined to their homes. France and Spain are having exceptional fire seasons The burned-area comparisons use different baselines because each country reported a different benchmark. AREA BURNED THROUGH JULY 27 Each bar uses the same hectare scale 0 80,000 160,000 hectares FRANCE 2026 ≈116,000 full 2022 70,000+ about 65% higher already SPAIN 2026 153,000 same point in 2025 one-sixth as much, based on Spain’s reported sixfold increase Ávila alone burned 50,000 hectares, nearly one-third of Spain’s total and the country’s largest fire on record. PEOPLE EVACUATED The evacuation bars use the same scale FRANCE about 250,000 SPAIN about 79,000 SPAIN confined 30,000 ordered to remain at home, not evacuated France’s southwest fires drove the larger evacuation. The ministry counted 220,000 evacuees in Gironde and 30,000 in Landes. Burned area and French evacuations: French Council of Ministers and Interior Ministry, July 27, 2026. Spain burned area, sixfold comparison, Ávila record and emergency orders: AP citing Spanish authorities, July 27. France’s 2022 comparator was reported as “a little over 70,000 hectares”; percentages and national counts are rounded. France has passed its entire 2022 fire total Spain reports six times last year’s pace. AREA BURNED THROUGH JULY 27 FRANCE ≈116,000 ha full 2022 70,000+ About 65% higher—with five months left. SPAIN 153,000 ha same point 2025 one-sixth as much Ávila burned 50,000 ha—Spain’s largest fire on record, and nearly one-third of its total. PEOPLE EVACUATED FRANCE ≈250,000 SPAIN ≈79,000 Spain confined 30,000 more people at home. France: Council of Ministers; Interior Ministry. Spain: AP citing Spanish authorities. Figures as of July 27, 2026; counts rounded.

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