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european wildfires 2026

More than 325,000 people have been displaced by wildfires across France and Spain this summer, with at least fourteen confirmed deaths and burn scars now visible from orbit across Aquitaine, Catalonia and Galicia. Those are the headline figures. The structural story underneath them is that Europe's fire season now begins earlier, peaks harder and overlaps across countries that used to take turns.

  • A multi-week heat dome that kept overnight temperatures high, denying crews the cool hours when fires normally lie down.
  • Rainfall deficits through spring that left live fuel moisture at levels usually seen in late August.
  • Rural depopulation and abandoned farmland, which converts former firebreaks into continuous fuel.
  • Wind events that arrived during the hottest part of the day rather than after it.

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