On Friday, the Spanish government declared a national state of emergency after wildfires forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid, while in southern France, around 40,000 people were also compelled to leave their homes.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, the fire has scorched more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) and is described as “the largest fire of the season”. He added that “currently, about 40,000 people are being gradually evacuated”, with no reports of casualties. A total of 80 houses have burned, approximately 50 of which were completely destroyed.
Situation in Spain
The declaration of a national state of emergency in Spain means that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversees police and security forces, has assumed control of firefighting efforts in regions grappling with multiple outbreaks that are rapidly spreading due to extreme heat.
The regional government of Madrid reported that 10,000 people were evacuated from various villages as numerous fires spiraled out of control late Thursday evening. This year, it is estimated that 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) have already burned in Spain, more than four times the area affected in the first half of 2025.
This year’s fires include the second-largest blaze in Spain’s history, which has consumed about 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) in the province of Guadalajara, north of Madrid, in recent days. Earlier this month, 13 people lost their lives in a fire in southern Spain, marking it as the deadliest fire in the country in recent times.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday called for a political pact to combat climate change, emphasizing its importance in adapting to new climatic conditions that pose a higher risk of fires. Temperatures are expected to exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in some areas of southern Spain, with a maximum of 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit).
Fires in France and International Aid
Authorities in southwestern France on Friday ordered additional mass evacuations along the Atlantic coast due to large wildfires. Over the past two days, around 40,000 people in the region have been forced to leave their homes. More than 87 square kilometers (34 square miles) have burned in a fire that has been raging since midweek near the tourist peninsula of Cap-Ferret, with some residents fleeing by boat.
France has requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. French President Emmanuel Macron stated: “We will soon be able to count on reinforcements, including two Croatian firefighting Canadair planes, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, and two heavy Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”
Amid the massive fires, climatologists remind us that Europe is warming faster than any other continent. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, temperatures in Europe have been rising at twice the global average since the 1980s. Globally, 2025 was the third hottest year on record, leading to significant heat waves.
In Tokyo, more than 450 people sought medical assistance for heat-related issues in a single day, the highest number in 16 years, according to Japanese emergency services. This figure comes amid a heat wave that has claimed at least 14 lives in the past week. Scientists warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat and drought, making more people vulnerable to their effects and raising the risk of large-scale wildfires.
Source: South China Morning Post
