Spain and France race to contain wildfires ahead of new heatwave

Spain and France are racing to contain major wildfires before a new heatwave pushes temperatures close to 40°C, threatening to complicate firefighting efforts and fuel further blazes, The Guardian reported.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called Monday and Tuesday «decisive» for containing the fires before temperatures rise again. Around 3,000 emergency workers are battling the blaze near Madrid, where the fire slowed overnight but remains active and out of control, authorities said. Officials identified three active fronts, the most dangerous located north of the San Juan Reservoir.

Francisco Martín, the Spanish government’s representative in the Madrid region, said he was «cautiously optimistic» about the firefighting operation, while urging residents to keep following official safety instructions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country still faced «difficult hours» despite recent progress.

In France, firefighters are battling a massive wildfire in the Gironde region that has burned about 42,000 hectares, making it one of the country’s largest since World War II. Authorities described the situation as broadly stable overnight, though the blaze remains intense and unpredictable. It is about 15 kilometers from Bordeaux, but officials said there are no plans to evacuate the city.

French firefighters warned the blaze could take weeks or even months to fully extinguish. Forecasters expect another heatwave to arrive Tuesday, with temperatures reaching nearly 40°C in southwestern France — the country’s fourth heatwave of the summer.

Provisional data show more than 170,000 hectares of forest have burned in Spain since the start of 2026, compared with nearly 29,000 hectares over the same period last year. Experts said an unusually wet winter followed by prolonged drought and repeated heatwaves left abundant dry vegetation, allowing the fires to spread rapidly. Shifting winds and thunderstorms with little rainfall have further complicated firefighting efforts.