Europe’s wildfires became so intense they created their own storm

Spain and France witnessed unprecedented wildfires in July 2026, some of which became so intense they spawned their own storms. The Gironde Department in southwestern France and Ávila and Madrid provinces in Spain saw some of the most devastating outbreaks. Spanish officials recorded the Ávila fire as the largest ever in their country, consuming 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) and surpassing the 2025 fire in Larouco, Quiroga, and Oencia.

By July 24, the Ávila blaze had merged with wildfires in neighboring provinces, scorching an area equivalent to New York City. A Landsat 9 image from July 29 revealed extensive damage around Burgohondo, a town surrounded by destroyed homes, restaurants, campgrounds, and marinas.

A similarly destructive fire raged west of Bordeaux, France, consuming over 42,000 hectares and forcing widespread evacuations. By late July, French wildfires had burned more than 90,000 hectares, marking the greatest area lost to fire in the country in decades.

Research by The State of Wildfires Project revealed that conditions favoring the fires had been developing for months. An unusually wet winter led to dense plant growth, which later turned into abundant fuel after heat waves and drought dried it out. Strong winds, reaching up to 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, exacerbated the situation, enabling the flames to spread rapidly.

The formation of a pyrocumulonimbus cloud in southwestern France on July 25 marked a dangerous development. Atmospheric scientists and wildfire specialists noted this as the first reported case of a wildfire producing such a cloud in France, an event that had previously occurred occasionally in Spain and Portugal. Firefighters and military personnel flocked to the affected areas, with aircraft dropping water and flame retardant while ground crews built firebreaks.

By late July, control efforts began lifting some evacuation orders, though hot and dry conditions persisted, with authorities warning of continued danger. NASA's satellite observations and tools like FIRMS and Worldview contributed to monitoring fire activity and studying long-term wildfire trends.