France and Spain continue to battle fires as new heatwave looms

Cover image: 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

Authorities warned the return of scorching temperatures this week could fuel the continent's worst fires in living memory, with a massive blaze still threatening Bordeaux even as firefighters began gaining ground elsewhere.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said one forest fire in southwest France had been "contained" even as another, much bigger one near Bordeaux continued to rage, and western Europe braced for new heatwaves this week.