Spain and France battle some of the most extensive forest fires in decadesSpain and France recorded some of their most extensive forest fires in decades during July 2026. Spain faced the largest fire in its observation history, while France documented the first appearance of a pyrocumulonimbus—a rare cloud generated by the energy of an active blaze. One of the decade's largest fires consumed more than 42,000 hectares, forcing mass evacuations and resulting in the destruction of the village of Le Porge. Total burned land across France exceeded 90,000 hectares, marking one of the worst periods in many years. Atmospheric monitoring specialists noted that while such phenomena have previously been recorded in Spain and Portugal, this is the first registered case for France.