Man killed in Valencia as 270,000 people forced to flee wildfires in Spain and France
A wildfire burning in Spain has reached its “peak” and officials say is now "beyond" firefighters’ ability to extinguish
A man has been killed in Valencia as wildfires spread in Madrid, fanned by high winds across the region.
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The man was found in a car in a ravine after dying in the wildfire in Manises, Valencia, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry.
Wildfires across both Spain and France have forced 270,000 people to flee as firefighters work to fight the blazes.
Three fires near Madrid prompted Spain to declare its first national emergency over a wildfire - as two merged on Friday.
The blaze is now "beyond the capacity" of firefighters to contain, according to Spanish officials, after three fires west of the capital merged.
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Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said his "thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires" and reassured Brits that he was working with authorities in Spain and France to handle the situation.
He wrote on X: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Europe."
"I am in touch with my French and Spanish counterparts about the situation. British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities in the area, alongside FCDO travel advice," he added.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Europe.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) July 25, 2026
I am in touch with my French and Spanish counterparts about the situation.
British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities in the area, alongside FCDO travel advice. https://t.co/ENhvRYDp9o
Juan José Fernández Ortiz, Director of the Regional Wildfire Operations Centre in Spain warned of the gravity of the situation
“This is a situation that we have never seen before because not only the size of the extension of the fires, but also the fire behaviour,” he told Sky News.
He said that it was “impossible” to fight the fires directly because “the fire intensity is so high”, and added that the number of wildfires across Spain is “overwhelming the organisation”.
Around 25,000 people have been evacuated and 40,000 told to stay indoors as the blaze moves towards the towns of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva, west of the Spanish capital.
A further 20,000 people have been told to remain indoors, while emergency crews focus on containing the fire and protecting communities in its path.
"It is not possible to attack the fire in that area, so defensive measures are being taken," Carlos Novillo, the regional government's emergency management chief, said.
The Civil Protection Service in Spain was expecting four more water-dumping aircraft to arrive on Saturday, two from Italy and two from Greece, sent as part of a European Union response to the emergency.
Firefighting aircraft from the Netherlands and Portugal have already been deployed in Spain.
Wildfires are also spreading rapidly across regions of France. In south-west France alone, 110,000 residents have been evacuated after fires tore through more than 14,000 hectares of land.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said around 50 firefighters had been injured as crews battled what he described as an unprecedented “convective fire”.
He said the blaze was “self-sustaining” and changing direction as it moved east towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
Bordeaux Airport has been closed, while military resources are being deployed to support exhausted emergency crews.
France has also appealed for international assistance, with European countries responding to the call. The latest figures put the number of people evacuated across France and Spain at around 200,000.