Wildfires generate fire thunderstorm as blazes ravage France and Spain

Wildfires continue to rage across France and Spain, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The fires follow a series of record breaking heatwaves that pushed temperatures above 40°C across parts of Europe.

France experienced its hottest June on record, with average temperatures reaching 3.8°C above the seasonal norm, followed by another heatwave from 4 to 19 July. The extreme summer heat came after a relatively wet winter, which encouraged grasses and other vegetation to grow extensively before drying them into highly combustible material.

Strong winds and low humidity have further accelerated the flames, allowing small ignitions to develop rapidly into fast moving fire fronts.

The World Meteorological Organisation warned that extreme heat is expected to become more frequent, intense, and prolonged (Photo: X)

The European Forest Fire Information System classified conditions across southwestern France and northern Spain as very extreme.

As the fires intensified, one of the blazes in southwestern France became powerful enough to generate its own thunderstorm. The rare weather event, known as a pyrocumulonimbus, forms when intense heat from a wildfire causes air to rise rapidly, carrying smoke, ash and water vapour high into the atmosphere.

As the air rises, it cools and condenses into a cloud. The intensity of the fire and instability in the atmosphere can then cause it to develop into the same type of cloud associated with thunderstorms. These clouds can produce lightning capable of igniting new fires, as well as violent and unpredictable gusts of wind that can suddenly change the direction of the flames and carry embers over long distances.

Authorities have described the blazes west of Madrid as the worst in the region’s history. Three major fires in and around the Spanish capital have together burned an estimated 77,000 hectares, an area larger than Madrid itself.

Spanish emergency teams have deployed firefighters, military personnel and water dropping aircraft to contain the fires around Madrid, Ávila and other affected regions.

France, meanwhile, has described the fires as its worst in two decades. Gironde, the department surrounding Bordeaux, is among the worst affected areas, with around 220,000 people forced to evacuate their homes.

The Gironde wildfire burned through around 42,000 hectares of forests and scrubland within four days, an area roughly four times the size of Paris. About 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel and 1,200 police officers have been deployed to combat the blaze.

Despite the extensive response, an official told the BBC that authorities did not have the personnel or equipment required to combat the worsening fires effectively.

French authorities have been using aircraft carrying flame retardant and Canadair water bombers, which can collect around 6,000 litres of water from lakes, rivers or the sea in approximately 12 seconds before dropping it directly over the flames.

Bulldozers, excavators and other heavy machinery have also been used to clear vegetation and create wide firebreaks near threatened towns, including Lacanau.

The flames have also threatened sensitive military and industrial facilities west of Bordeaux, including sites involved in the production of ballistic missile propulsion components, and solid rocket motors, as well as the processing of hazardous chemicals.

Animal rescue missions are being carried out in affected areas (Photo: X)

Animals have also been caught up in the evacuations. An equestrian centre in southwestern France was forced to release its horses as the fire approached, with footage showing them running through smoke filled streets to escape the blaze. Deer and other wild animals have also been seen fleeing burning forests and entering populated areas.

Earlier this month, John Kennedy, head of climate information at the World Meteorological Organisation, said: “Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate.”

The organisation has warned that extreme heat is expected to become more frequent, intense, and prolonged as the climate continues to warm, increasing the conditions favourable to drought and severe wildfires.