Thousands evacuated from homes in southwest France as wildfire burns

World climate crisisfirefranceTop News Thousands evacuated from homes in southwest France as wildfire burns France Fire Relevant News Commercial flights mix with Greek F-16 sorties in Paphos sky (videos) 6 July 2026 Thousands evacuated from homes in southwest France as wildfire burns 6 July 2026 Things to do on Monday, July 6 6 July 2026 newsroom 6 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A wildfire burning out of control in southwestern France has forced the evacuation of 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border and officials said strong winds on Monday would further fan the blaze. The fire has scorched some 4,600 hectares in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said in a post on X. “This morning conditions are deteriorating again,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned on French TV station TF1. “Today the battle resumes.” 📹 | El fuego originado en Soneja (Castellón) entra en el parque natural de la Sierra de Espadán https://t.co/VL3xkzdVLJ pic.twitter.com/WvgaaHEKsX— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) July 6, 2026 Early summer heatwaves in France and across western Europe in May and June have scorched vast areas of land, making them particularly vulnerable to wildfires this year. The Trevillach blaze is burning in the vicinity of the third stage of the Tour de France. Local authorities have closed the leg to the public to allow emergency services easy access to the area. Although the race will proceed, the motorcade of team vehicles that follows will now be kept to a minimum. On the Spanish side of the border, the fire ravaged 2,200 hectares — 97% of them in the protected natural area of Les Gavarres — but Catalan authorities said late on Saturday that it was stable and would be completely extinguished during the week. Police have arrested an employee of a company contracted by Catalonia’s regional government who is suspected of having sparked the wildfire by using an angle grinder at the side of a road. South of Catalonia, in the eastern Castellon province, 500 people were evacuated after a wildfire entered the Sierra de Espadan national park, home to a significant cork oak forest. Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across Spain, France and Portugal after extreme heat and strong winds fuelled fast-moving blazes.Authorities warn the fire season is only just beginning.Al Jazeera's @francesreadtv reports. pic.twitter.com/37Q7cwX2u1— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 4, 2026 (Reuters) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Commercial flights mix with Greek F-16 sorties in Paphos sky (videos) Things to do on Monday, July 6 TV problems persist after switchover? Here’s how to fix them Alphamega opens express store in Peyia On this day: The first airship to cross the Atlantic, the British R-34, arrived in New York in 1919 Cyprus issues yellow warning as summer storms threaten heavy rain Racist commentary about Black players comes under scrutiny at World Cup Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.