More than 260K forced to flee amid European wildfires: What to know

International More than 260K forced to flee amid European wildfires: What to know Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/25/26 3:43 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/25/26 3:43 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes due to raging wildfires across southwest Europe.

Over 250,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain, according to authorities from both countries.

No deaths have been tied to these fires, but strong winds and extreme heat have propelled the flames through thousands of acres of land, destroyed homes and injured firefighters in southwestern France and central Spain.

Flames have also torn through parts of Italy and Scotland.

French President Emmanuel Macron thanked the emergency crews responding to these wildfires and the country’s international partners in a social media post on Saturday.

“Everywhere the flames strike, thousands of hectares have been ravaged, homes destroyed, activities disrupted, lives upended,” he said in a statement translated from French. “We will rebuild, we will repair, and we will be there as long as it takes.”

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, similarly assured the country in a Saturday statement that his government was taking proactive steps to combat the flames.

“The entire State, all Administrations, are coordinating all resources for an effective response to the fires and for the reception of evacuated and confined people,” Sánchez wrote in a social media post translated from Spanish.

“Today we are in the fight and in the extinguishing, but the Government of Spain will also be in the reconstruction and recovery of the affected areas,” he continued.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media that the continent “stands alongside” both France and Spain as they “face devastating wildfires.”

Five aircraft and 2 helicopters from the European Union’s rescEU fleet have been deployed to France and 4 aircraft are arriving in Spain on Saturday, von der Leyen said.

“My thoughts go to the firefighters bravely battling the flames and to all those who have had to be evacuated,” the commission’s president said in a statement translated from French.

Éléonore Caroit, France’s minister for international partnerships, urged tourists not to cancel their holiday travel plans to the country in an interview with the BBC on Saturday.

“You have entire areas that are fine, you’re seeing similar phenomena in Spain and other countries,” she told the outlet. “I’m in Paris and nothing is happening, and most other regions are OK, so do please come to France and do not cancel your travel plans.”

The final stage of the Tour de France was also shortened by 44 kilometers due to fires. Organizers said this leg of the biking race will only pass through central Paris to reduce the pressure on emergency service providers in the country.