In brief
A series of devastating wildfires in the Gironde region of southwest France has prompted the emergency evacuation of roughly 12,000 residents, including a large number of tourists, following the death of two firefighters near Bordeaux airport. The fires destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of forest, displacing communities and halting travel on major roads. Similar events unfolded across Italy and Spain, with Sicily experiencing over 350 incidents and Madrid’s emergency services deploying additional fire crews to control a large blaze. The relentless heat of the current summer, recorded at 36°C in Spain, is part of a broader pattern of a warming European climate that has fueled record wildfire activity and fatalities over the past year. National authorities are under scrutiny for their preparedness and response to an escalating wildfire crisis that threatens public safety, property and ecosystems.
Around 12,000 people evacuated in France fires
South‑west France is grappling with a series of wildfires that have forced the evacuation of roughly 12,000 residents, including 10,000 tourists, after two firefighters died near the Bordeaux airport.
The Gironde regional authorities say more than 2,000 hectares (about 4,000 acres) of forested land have been lost. The government banned internal‑combustion and electric vehicle engines in heavily‑forested areas, and closed several roads to help contain the blaze. No injuries were reported as of Thursday.
Italian officials paid tribute to firefighter Alessandro Marchi, who died fighting a wildfire in San Cataldo, and the Sicilian Civil Protection reported more than 350 fires on the island, including ten major ones that prompted precautionary evacuations. Residents in some Spanish towns were told they could return home after overnight, except in an area of Villa del Prado where a fire is still burning.
France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, expressed "infinite gratitude and unwavering support" to the families of the fallen firefighters, and the Gironde region remains under a red alert with some leisure sites in exposed forest areas suspended.
Across Europe, the summer’s record temperatures have driven unprecedented wildfire activity. A Copernicus Climate Change Service report highlighted that at least 95 % of Europe experienced above‑average annual temperatures in 2025, with wildfires and emissions reaching all‑time highs.
