Bordeaux under threat as France and Spain battle 'unprecedented' wildfires

Cover image: Firefighters light a counterfire to remove vegetation ahead of a wildfire, creating a fuel-free buffer zone in Marcheprime, west of Bordeaux on July 26, 2026. © Alain Jocard, AFP

The fire in southwest France was about 15 kilometres away from Bordeaux on Sunday, as authorities in France and Spain battled wildfires that have forced roughly 300,000 people from their homes across both countries. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the situation in Bordeaux as "unprecedented", while Spain's Avila region suffered its worst blaze in recent history.

Wildfires advanced towards the outskirts of the historic French city of Bordeaux, at the heart of the country's winelands, on Sunday as France and Spain battled blazes that have already forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.