Wildfires burn nearly 300,000 acres in France and Spain as heat wave looms

Residents look at the sky illuminated by wildfires in Le Porge, south-western France early on July 23, 2026.Romain Perrocheau | Afp | Getty ImagesWildfires are continuing to rage in parts of France and Spain as concerns grow that the latest heatwave could exacerbate the disaster. The fires, which began in southwestern France, in Gironde, on Wednesday last week, have already burned nearly 104,000 acres in France and around 190,000 acres in Spain. The fires have forced nearly 300,000 people to evacuate the regions.Gironde's prefecture has said the situation has remained stable overnight, with a total of 93 firefighters injured, according to regional broadcaster France 3 Aquitaine. "The night was calm," the prefecture said. "the fire is still under control this morning."As firefighters work to bring the situation under control, there's growing anxiety about a new heatwave expected to affect France and Spain for the rest of the week, with temperatures forecasted to rise to 33 to 35 degrees Celsius in France, according to Météo-France. The wildfires are a rare and dangerous "pyrocumulonimbus," a type of fire cloud that can generate its own thunderstorms, winds, and whirlwinds, making it...