Published Mon, Jul 27 2026, 7:40 AM EDT Upd. 48 Min Ago
Sawdah Bhaimiya
Key Points
The fire began in the Southwest of France in Gironde last Wednesday and has burned nearly 104,000 acres in France, and around 190,000 acres in the Avila and Toledo areas in Western Madrid. In what’s been described as an “unprecedented” and “historic” situation, France has seen almost 250,000 acres burned since the beginning of the year.
The wildfire has been described as a rare “pyrocumulonimbus,” which is an extremely rare and dangerous type of fire cloud that generates its own thunderstorms, winds, and whirlwinds, making it “erratic and unmanageable,” Nicolas Braz, a firefighter Captain, told AFP. More than 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
This photography shows a burning forest during a wildfire near the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France on July 25, 2026.
Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty Images
Firefighters stand by their vehicle as the battle a forest fire in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 26, 2026 as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde).
Romain Perrocheau | Afp | Getty Images
This photograph shows a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 MR aircraft (R) dropping fire retardant over a forest near Marcheprime, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026.
Alain Jocard | Afp | Getty Images
This picture taken on July 27, 2026 shows a queue of drivers trying to access Cenicientos, 80 kilometers southwest of Madrid, one of the villages damaged by a wildfire.
Oscar Del Pozo | Afp | Getty Images
People displaced by the forest fire find refuge at the Parc des expositions de Bordeaux, in Bordeaux, south-western France, on 27 July, 2026.
Sami Karaali | Afp | Getty Images
A French Civil Defense (Securite Civile) Canadair CL-415 drops water over a burning area during a wildfire in front of Barjols, southeastern France on July 26, 2026.
Thibaud Moritz | Afp | Getty Images
Smoke in the sky seen from Villamanta, San Martín de Valdeiglesias. on July 26, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
David Benito | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Evacuees arrive at the Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux-Lac, which has been converted into one of the main reception centres for people displaced by the severe wildfires affecting the Gironde department, in Le Porge, France, on July 26, 2026.
- Europe’s monster wildfire is a rare and dangerous type of fire that can create its own thunderclouds.
- The wildfire has spread from France’s Bordeaux region to Western Madrid, claiming hundreds of thousands of acres of land.
- More than 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate in what’s been described as an “unprecedented” situation.
The fire began in the Southwest of France in Gironde last Wednesday and has burned nearly 104,000 acres in France, and around 190,000 acres in the Avila and Toledo areas in Western Madrid. In what’s been described as an “unprecedented” and “historic” situation, France has seen almost 250,000 acres burned since the beginning of the year.
The wildfire has been described as a rare “pyrocumulonimbus,” which is an extremely rare and dangerous type of fire cloud that generates its own thunderstorms, winds, and whirlwinds, making it “erratic and unmanageable,” Nicolas Braz, a firefighter Captain, told AFP. More than 300,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
This photography shows a burning forest during a wildfire near the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France on July 25, 2026.
Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty Images
Firefighters stand by their vehicle as the battle a forest fire in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 26, 2026 as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde).
Romain Perrocheau | Afp | Getty Images
This photograph shows a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 MR aircraft (R) dropping fire retardant over a forest near Marcheprime, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026.
Alain Jocard | Afp | Getty Images
This picture taken on July 27, 2026 shows a queue of drivers trying to access Cenicientos, 80 kilometers southwest of Madrid, one of the villages damaged by a wildfire.
Oscar Del Pozo | Afp | Getty Images
People displaced by the forest fire find refuge at the Parc des expositions de Bordeaux, in Bordeaux, south-western France, on 27 July, 2026.
Sami Karaali | Afp | Getty Images
A French Civil Defense (Securite Civile) Canadair CL-415 drops water over a burning area during a wildfire in front of Barjols, southeastern France on July 26, 2026.
Thibaud Moritz | Afp | Getty Images
Smoke in the sky seen from Villamanta, San Martín de Valdeiglesias. on July 26, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
David Benito | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Evacuees arrive at the Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux-Lac, which has been converted into one of the main reception centres for people displaced by the severe wildfires affecting the Gironde department, in Le Porge, France, on July 26, 2026.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
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