Wildfires in Spain and France force evacuation of 200,000 people

France has appealed for international help, while Spain has declared a national emergency.Published On 25 Jul 202625 Jul 2026Nearly 200,000 people have been forced from their homes and holiday resorts in the face of massive, uncontained wildfires in France and Spain.Spanish firefighters hoped to get control of wildfires raging near capital Madrid on Saturday, but an official warned that erratic winds threatened to fan the blazes further, as thick grey smoke filled the sky west of the city.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Spanish police accuse tractor driver of sparking wildfire as blazes spreadlist 2 of 4Wildfire survivors tell of narrow escape as Spain declares emergencylist 3 of 4Wildfires force evacuation of tens of thousands in France and Spainlist 4 of 4Thousands forced to evacuate as wildfires sweep across southern Franceend of listCarlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government’s emergency management chief, said the wildfire near the capital was “at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain”.Two separate wildfires combined on Friday to become one huge blaze, which was close to merging with yet another in the neighbouring Castilla y ...