Europe Burns: 300,000 Forced From Their Homes

More than 300,000 people have been left homeless as devastating wildfires continue to sweep across Spain and parts of France, forcing mass evacuations and prompting the Spanish government to declare a national emergency.

Reports indicate that the fires have spread rapidly around Madrid and along Spain’s eastern coast, with new data showing that the rate of land burned across Europe has increased by 57 percent over the past four years. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Region, nearly 10,000 hectares have been destroyed in the Madrid region, while between 13,000 and 15,000 hectares have been consumed in the neighbouring Ávila province. Spain’s Interior Ministry also confirmed that the number of wildfires recorded in Spain and Portugal has more than doubled compared to the previous year. The head of Madrid’s regional government described the current blaze as the worst ever experienced in the area.
In France, about 63,000 residents have been evacuated from the southern part of the country as multiple wildfires continue to burn simultaneously, destroying about 80 homes. France has requested international firefighting assistance through the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. WHO Europe noted that wildfires destroyed 2.2 million hectares of land across the region in 2025, up significantly from 1.4 million hectares in 2022, reflecting the impact of rising global temperatures.
Environmental campaign group 350.org said the crisis exposes the enormous cost of delaying action on fossil fuels. Its global campaigner, Soraya Fettih, who lives near Bordeaux, said she was evacuated from her home as the fires approached the suburbs, describing skies filled with smoke and ash and communities forced to flee. She criticised governments for continuing to subsidise fossil fuel companies while residents bear the cost of climate disasters. Fettih also pointed to TotalEnergies’ reported $11.2 billion profit in six months, saying communities are paying twice—through climate destruction and public funding that continues to support companies profiting from fossil fuels.
350.org noted that TotalEnergies recorded an adjusted net income of $6.03 billion in the second quarter of 2026, a 68 percent increase from the same period last year, largely due to stronger refining margins. The organisation stressed that while the full economic cost of the 2026 wildfire season is yet to be determined, the fires are being intensified by global warming linked to fossil fuel use. It urged European governments to impose higher taxes on fossil fuels and introduce climate damage taxes on oil and gas profits to fund emergency response, recovery efforts and long-term resilience.
Meanwhile, the European Union has intensified support for both Spain and France. The European Commission confirmed that France has received five firefighting aircraft and two helicopters from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden, while additional helicopters from Germany and firefighting aircraft from Turkey are expected to join operations. Spain has received six firefighting aircraft from Greece, Italy and Turkey, alongside three Portuguese ground teams made up of 134 firefighters and 41 vehicles. The Commission said the assistance is being coordinated and financed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said no country should have to face a disaster of such magnitude alone, assuring the people of France and Spain that Europe would continue to stand with them until the fires are fully extinguished.