Wildfires overwhelm exhausted firefighters in France and Spain

A firefighter of the Paris Fire Brigade strikes the smouldering debris with a shovel in Marcheprime west of Bordeaux on Jul 26, 2026 as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde) since Jul 22. (Photo: AFP/Romain Perrocheau) 26 Jul 2026 07:14PM BORDEAUX: Fire crews in France and Spain battling unchecked wildfires that have forced more than 300,000 people to flee were overwhelmed on Sunday (Jul 26) as the unpredictable blazes advanced.France's southwestern city of Bordeaux, at the heart of a region of vineyards, was under threat, with a major highway and train lines cut.In Spain, more villages in the fire zone raging west of Madrid were emptied during the night - and a new front opened near the coastal city of Valencia.France was faced with "a historic situ