Wildfires force evacuation of over 20,000 in southwestern France

Jul 22, 2026

A wildfire in France's Gironde region has forced over 20,000 people to evacuate as it burns through thousands of hectares of pine forest. The blaze is part of a wider crisis across Southern Europe, where a severe heatwave and drought have fueled deadly fires in Spain and Italy. Scientists link the increasing frequency and severity of these events to climate change, with Europe experiencing thousands of excess deaths from the heat.

Southwestern France wildfire evacuations

▪The fire is believed to have been accidentally started by a brush-clearing machine.
▪The blaze started near the village of Saumos, west of Bordeaux, and spread through a seaside pine forest toward Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret.
▪A wildfire in the Gironde region of southwestern France has forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 people, including tourists and residents.
▪France requested assistance from the European Union, which is providing aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
▪Two firefighters died on July 21, 2026, while tackling a separate blaze near Bordeaux airport.
▪The wildfire has burned at least 2,400 hectares (5,900 acres) of land.
▪Hundreds of firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, have been deployed to control the fire.

European heatwave conditions

▪A firefighter died in Sicily, Italy, while battling one of hundreds of fires on the island.
▪The total area burned by wildfires in European Union countries in 2026 is the second largest on record.
▪Wildfires are raging across Southern Europe amid a severe heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) in some regions.
▪In Spain, the country's largest wildfire of the year has burned an estimated 32,000 hectares in the Guadalajara province.

Climate-driven drought intensification

▪A study by the World Weather Attribution group concluded that climate change is making European droughts more severe.
▪Scientists state that human-caused climate change is making extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires more frequent and severe in Europe.
▪Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at more than twice the global average.

Heat-related mortality across Europe

▪Over 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe and Britain during the heatwaves in May and late June 2026.
▪On June 27, 2026, Belgium experienced its second deadliest day of the 21st century with 650 deaths, attributed to a heatwave.
▪Europe has experienced three successive heatwaves in 2026, which are linked to thousands of excess deaths.

Agricultural water shortage impacts

▪Due to drought, France anticipates its smallest maize crop in 50 years, while Romania has restricted water for irrigation.

Livestock-based wildfire prevention

▪In Spain's Galicia region, communities are reintroducing native livestock like the Cachena cow to clear undergrowth and reduce wildfire risk.
▪The Cachena cattle, known as 'goat-cows', are used to graze on undergrowth that can act as fuel for fires.