More than 330,000 people have been evacuated from wildfires tearing through France and Spain, with an area of 98,000 hectares burned in France since the start of the year – a record. In the Scottish Highlands, another vast blaze has raged across Cairngorms National Park for ten days, forcing residents to flee and leaving some told to leave pets behind. These fires are not isolated disasters; they are part of a pattern linked to extreme heat and drought that increasingly affects the whole of Europe, including the UK.
At its most intense, the fire in southwestern France created its own weather. Firefighter Captain Nicolas Braz told AFP the fire was “erratic and unmanageable”, generating whirlwinds and a pyrocumulonimbus cloud – a smoke-filled thunderstorm that can produce lightning and hail but no rain. The blaze in the Gironde region pushed towards Bordeaux, closing 60km of the A63 motorway leading to Spain. In Spain, two fires merged outside Madrid, prompting the country to declare its first-ever national emergency over a wildfire. Italy’s islands of Sicily and Sardinia also faced multiple blazes, with strong sirocco winds fanning the flames.
“Why massive wildfires in France and Spain – and a record blaze in Scotland – signal a new reality for Britain”
Why is this happening now? Europe has experienced repeated heatwaves and drought conditions, drying out vegetation and making landscapes tinder-dry. The fires in France have burned 42,000 hectares in the Gironde and Landes departments alone – one of the largest forest fires since World War Two. More than 220,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France. The French government activated an EU emergency mechanism, receiving planes and helicopters from Portugal, Croatia, Slovakia and Sweden. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said priority was to “save lives, protect communities, and fight the fires”.
For UK readers, these fires are a reminder that extreme wildfire conditions are no longer just a Mediterranean problem. The Cairngorms wildfire, which burned for ten days and involved more than 500 firefighters, shows that the UK is vulnerable too. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warned residents to stay indoors, close windows, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity due to smoke. The fires in France and Spain also disrupt travel: the Tour de France final was shortened to free up security forces, and British holidaymakers heading to Bordeaux or Madrid could face cancelled trips or health risks from smoke.
Q: Could wildfires like these happen in the UK? Yes, as seen with the Cairngorms fire in July 2026. While the scale is smaller than in France and Spain, the UK has seen increasingly large wildfires on heathlands and forests, especially after dry spells. Emergency services have to adapt to new risks.
Q: How do wildfires affect air quality across Europe? Smoke from large fires can travel hundreds of miles. Pyrocumulonimbus clouds inject smoke high into the atmosphere, potentially affecting air quality in other countries, including the UK. In France, residents and tourists reported ash clouds “blocking out the sun”.
Q: What is being done to prevent these fires? France has faced criticism from opposition parties about underinvestment in fire prevention. The EU has a civil protection mechanism that pools firefighting aircraft and teams from member states. Land management, controlled burns and early warning systems are key, but climate change makes conditions more extreme.
What happens next depends on weather and resources. Firefighters in France and Spain continue to battle blazes, with hot and dry conditions forecast. The French government has promised to “rebuild” affected areas. EU solidarity will remain crucial, and the UK may need to consider its own capacity for tackling large fires as the climate continues to change.