Wildfires continue to scorch France and Spain, forcing mass evacuations as another heatwave looms

Danger on the front line in eastern Spain

Across the border in Spain, firefighters faced an especially dangerous situation in Vall d'Uixo, in the eastern Castellón province. Chevi Bolumar, fire chief of the Valencian regional government, told public broadcaster TVE that the ground in Vall d'Uixo contains old ordnance from the Spanish Civil War that explodes when the flames reach the area, complicating suppression efforts.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday that fires have burned over 300,000 acres already this year in Spain. He noted that the annual average of acres burned in the country over the past decade was 250,000 acres, underscoring how exceptional the current season has become. Sánchez placed the focus of the fires on the impact of climate change.

A fire in the region of Madrid has burnt over 60,000 acres and was still active on Monday. On Sunday, Spanish authorities said the two large fires in Madrid and Ávila had been brought under control, after the blazes came close to merging over the weekend. The Castellón wildfire is still active but has slowed down, and authorities hope to bring it under control by Tuesday.

Spain's record-breaking fire year

In total, around 100,000 people have been told to leave their homes or seek shelter in Spain. A third major fire in eastern Spain, in the region of Castellón, has impacted about 75,000 people, with some evacuated and others asked to remain at their properties.

In France, more than 220,000 residents were evacuated in the Gironde region alone, and across the country authorities have evacuated about 220,000 people, including tourists and local residents. The wildfires in southern France have forced the evacuation of more than 250,000 people in total.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Saturday that more than 242,000 acres have been burned in France this year, calling it a historic record. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that the area burned in France has already surpassed the previous record year of 2022, and said France was going through an "unprecedented fire season".

Lecornu also issued a stark warning about the human role in the disaster. "The fight against wildfires begins with prevention. Nine out of 10 fires are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution," he said on social media.

Macron convenes crisis meeting

French President Emmanuel Macron called a crisis meeting on Monday to coordinate efforts to fight wildfires in southern France. In a weekend social media post, Macron pledged long-term support for communities hit by the fires, saying: "We will rebuild, we will repair and we will be present for as long as necessary."

The scale of the emergency spilled over into other aspects of public life. The route for the final stage of the Tour de France cycling race was shortened because security and police were reassigned to assist with the fires, according to organizers. The race still ended on Sunday.

Another heatwave on the horizon

Looking ahead, Western Europe has experienced a blisteringly hot and dry summer, and another heatwave is expected to hit France and Spain later in the week. According to Aemet, Spain's national meteorology agency, this summer is on track to be the hottest on record in Spain. Aemet forecast a fourth heat wave of the summer starting Wednesday, raising fears that fire crews will face renewed pressure just as some blazes come under control.