Spain has declared a national state of emergency due to wildfires in the Madrid region and the province of Ávila—the highest level of alert, which transfers operational command to the central government and the Military Emergency Unit (UME). France has evacuated 63,000 people from the Cap Ferret peninsula. Both countries have requested assistance from the European Union, Reuters reported on Friday, July 24.
France and Spain have requested assistance because fire and other emergency services are unable to contain the large-scale fires.
Spain has declared a state of emergency as wildfires continue to spread.
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) July 24, 2026
Follow: https://t.co/7Dg3b41hTx pic.twitter.com/TuEF2F9S6x
In Spain, more than 19,000 people were ordered to evacuate from towns in the mountains west of Madrid, as more than 2,000 firefighters and 10 aircraft tried in vain to prevent the spread of the fire, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.
BREAKING: More than 20,000 people have been evacuated as an extreme wildfire continues to burn near Madrid, Spain.
— The Daily Brief (@_TheDailyBrief_) July 24, 2026
The fire, which began as two separate wildfires, merged into one larger blaze on Friday, according to emergency services. More than 6,000 hectares have already… pic.twitter.com/YHStYhlwQO
French authorities have ordered a complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a tourist destination on the Atlantic coast.
The sky is now completely engulfed by massive, billowing clouds of dark brown and orange smoke as the wildfire in the Lège-Cap-Ferret area sends a thick plume of smoke across nearby Lacanau, Gironde Department, France.
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 24, 2026
The wildfire has already scorched around 10,000 hectares. pic.twitter.com/8aENqmWYY4
In southwestern France, authorities have dispatched boats to assist with the evacuation. In total, about 63,000 people, many of whom were tourists, have been evacuated.
🚨🔥 Fire apocalypse in Biscarrosse, Landes, France since yesterday
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) July 24, 2026
Thousands of hectares burned; animals, campers, and residents evacuated
Go firefighters—you’re always the heroes everywhere! https://t.co/50U2yX4nV8 pic.twitter.com/bMpCvRh8HQ
“Another major fire that started in neighboring Somas, north of Cap Ferret, threatens to cut off the only road off the peninsula and is the largest of the season in France,” said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
The fire has already destroyed more than 10,000 hectares of forest and burned down 80 homes. Forest fires this year have already destroyed more land in Europe than the average annual figure for the past two decades.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, as of June, 150 million people in Europe were experiencing extreme heat, with more than 1,300 fatalities.
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