Climate change fuelled France and Spain wildfires, experts say

Spain and France's record-breaking wildfires were made more likely due to human-caused climate change, a group of scientists have found.

Over the past week, massive fires have been raging in central Spain and southwest France, forcing the evacuation of more than 360,000 people.

Three people have also died, and thousands of homes have been destroyed.

As it happened: Major fire near Suffolk nuclear plant grows

Rapid research from the World Weather Attribution initiative said that climate change – mainly caused by burning fossil fuels – made the blazes in France at least twice as likely and at least 20 times more likely in Spain.

Events this intense, the researchers add, are now expected to occur once every 20 years in southwestern France and once every six years in central Spain.

Dr Clair Barnes, research associate in extreme weather and climate change at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said that "what we're seeing in France and Spain isn't just bad luck".

She added: "A wet winter, followed by this intensely dry summer and a succession of heatwaves, has left forests loaded with dry fuel, and relentless heat - fuelled by human-caused climate change - has created the conditions for sparks to take hold and become massive, dangerous wildfires.

"We've seen repeatedly how climate change increases hot, dry, flammable conditions that are extremely conducive to wildfires.

"What's unique about this case is that it's still early in the season - and with another heatwave looming, these findings are extremely scary."

Read more: What is a firewave?

While France's interior minister Laurent Nunez told BFM TV on Thursday that "the worst is behind us," he said the blaze near Bordeaux, which burned more than 40,000 hectares, was "unprecedented".

That came alongside another fire that burned across 4,800 hectares in the Ponteves area of France - also now under control - and as a wildfire described as a "monster" and the largest ever had been burning in the Sierra Oeste region, just west of Madrid.

Emergency services feel that the fire has been largely contained, after it did not spread overnight

UK also impacted

It also comes as a large blaze emerged in Suffolk, burning an area of at least 150 hectares, which is larger than London's Hyde Park.

The wildfire grew by 50% over the day, at least 48 people fled their homes, and was close to the nuclear plant Sizewell B and the facility Sizewell C, which is under construction.

The former moved to "high alert", although experts said this was mainly a precaution.

According to the latest update from Suffolk Council, the blaze is "dynamic" but remains "stable".

(c) Sky News 2026: Climate change fuelled France and Spain wildfires, experts say