BORDEAUX, France (AP) — The mobile phone alert message marked “URGENT” came with a beeeeeeep in the dead of night.
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French President Emmanuel Macron calls a crisis meeting to address uncontrolled wildfires forcing over 250,000 people to flee their homes. In the Gironde region of southwest France, flames have burned an area four times the size of Paris. The prefecture says the situation remained “globally stable” overnight, a change from previous days. No new evacuations have been announced. With France entering its peak tourist season, authorities have banned holiday camps for children and people with disabilities. Macron pledges long-term support for affected communities, saying, “We will rebuild, we will repair.”
A burnt vehicle sits outside a charred house in Navas del Rey, west of Madrid, Spain, where wildfires have forced tens of thousands to be evacuated, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Burnt vehicles sit outside a charred house in Navas del Rey, west of Madrid, Spain, where wildfires have forced tens of thousands to be evacuated, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
A firefighter rests inside a fire engine in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, Spain, where wildfires have forced tens of thousands to be evacuated, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Authorities in France are evacuating suburbs of Bordeaux due to a massive wildfire west of the city. The prefect of the Gironde region ordered the evacuation early Saturday. This affects parts of three western suburbs, including the airport. Officials say the fire continues to spread despite significant firefighting efforts. The evacuation aims to ensure residents' safety. Bordeaux is famous for its wines.
Spain’s government has declared a national emergency Friday after multiple wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid. The measure means that Spain’s interior ministry has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain’s regions. The regional government of Madrid said that 10,000 people have been evacuated from different villages as fires rage out of control amid a heat wave that is fanning the flames.
Residents spend the night at a sports center after being evacuated from their homes because of the threat of a wildfire in Cebreros, Ávila province, Spain, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Residents spend the night at a sports center after being evacuated from their homes because of the threat of a wildfire in Cebreros, Ávila province, Spain, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Residents spend the night at a sports center after being evacuated from their homes because of the threat of a wildfire in Cebreros, Ávila province, Spain, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)