Wildfires have burned areas across southwestern and southern France and central and eastern Spain since mid-July in one of the most severe fire seasons in years. In 2026, France has already experienced roughly 3.4 times its annual average number of fires, while Spain has seen about 1.7 times its average.
The fires have been driven by an unusually hot, dry summer following a wet winter that produced heavy vegetation growth, now acting as fuel. Several distinct fire complexes are active in each country, with the largest concentrated in France’s Gironde department and the Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo regions of Spain.
France
In France, around 30 wildfires are currently burning nationwide, with almost 100,000 hectares burned in total.
France’s largest fire began around July 22 in the Gironde department, north of the Arcachon Basin, and has since spread toward Bordeaux, at one point coming within roughly 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of the city.
The fire has burned about 42,000 hectares and triggered over 220,000 evacuations, one of the largest evacuations in French history. Additional fires have been reported in the Var, Loire-Atlantique, and Landes departments and across the French mediterranean island of Corsica.
Spain
The largest fire complex in Spain is concentrated west of Madrid, spanning the Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo regions.
On July 27, Spain’s government declared a state of emergency over fires burning across roughly 77,000 hectares, including approximately 50,000 hectares in Ávila, 25,000 in Madrid, and 2,000 in Toledo, with over 100,000 people evacuated or confined across numerous towns.
The fires have damaged businesses, factories, homes, and at least 40 secondary roads. However, improved containment allowed authorities to lift all evacuation orders in Ávila as of July 29, though firefighting efforts continue.
A second major fire complex broke out in La Vall d’Uixó, Castellón province, Valencian Community on July 25 and has injured at least 7 people. The fire has affected 75,000 people and has burned approximately 10,046 hectares, including key agricultural land that provided orange, avocado, loquat, olive, almond, and vine crops.
On July 28, the confinement order for La Vall d’Uixó itself was lifted, but measures remain in place for around 39,000 residents of other affected municipalities.
Wildfires affect regional logistics and defense industrial clusters near Bordeaux, France
The ongoing fire activity in Spain and France has begun to affect key logistics corridors across the affected region.
The most impacted area is located outside of Bordeaux, France, where authorities have limited rail traffic and forced localized roadway closures. Roadway closures have also been implemented near fire areas in Romillo, Spain.
Additionally, both French and Spanish authorities anticipate postal delivery delays in the affected areas while fire activity remains ongoing.
Separately, the Gironde fire has caused multiple confirmed production stoppages near Bordeaux, France. In particular, a cluster of aerospace and defense industrial producers in the region has been most affected. In Spain, production impacts have generally been limited due to the more rural locations of fire activity.
Everstream clients are receiving more detailed insights and recommendations about this risk.
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