Travel News · 8 min read · Published July 27, 2026

Wildfires in France and Spain: what UK holidaymakers need to know

First, the honest context: this is a humanitarian and climate disaster for the people whose homes and towns are in the path of the fires. For anyone with a holiday booked, here's the practical picture : where the fires are, what the FCDO says, and your rights if things change.

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

Wildfires have forced more than 300,000 people from their homes across south-west France and central Spain over the past week, with evacuees sheltering in sports halls and temporary centres. In France, the worst-hit departments are Gironde and Landes around Bordeaux, where the airport's hotel zone has been evacuated though flights are operating. In Spain, a national emergency covers Madrid and Ávila, with further fires reported in Toledo and other inland areas. Crucially, the FCDO has not advised against travel to any part of either country, which is the key test most airlines, tour operators and insurers work from. Popular coastal destinations including the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, the Balearics and the Canaries remain well away from the fire zones and are operating normally. Travellers heading to, or already in, an affected region should follow local authority instructions, keep 112 to hand, and check with their accommodation or transport provider directly. Refund and insurance rights depend heavily on individual policy wording and whether official advice changes, so it's worth checking both before assuming a trip needs to be cancelled.

What's actually happening

Wildfires driven by a prolonged heatwave and drought have swept across south-west France and central Spain since mid-July, forcing what French officials have described as one of the country's largest peacetime evacuations. In France, the fires are concentrated in the departments of Gironde and Landes, around the Arcachon Basin west of Bordeaux, including the towns of Lège-Cap-Ferret, Le Porge, Saumos and Lacanau. Bordeaux Airport's hotel zone has been evacuated, though commercial flights have continued to operate. Roughly 30 fires were burning simultaneously in the region at the weekend, and the Gironde prefect has asked tourists to stay away from the immediate area until it's under control.

In Spain, the government has declared its first-ever national emergency for wildfires, covering the Madrid region and neighbouring Ávila, where blazes near San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo have merged into larger fronts. Further fires have been reported in Toledo and other inland provinces. Spain's Military Emergency Unit is leading the response, backed by firefighting aircraft from Italy, Greece and Portugal under the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism.

Together, the fires have displaced more than 300,000 people and claimed lives on both sides of the border. It's a genuinely difficult moment for the communities affected, and it's worth holding that in mind alongside the practical planning questions below.

Here's the important context for travellers: the fires are geographically specific. They're concentrated in particular inland departments and regions, not spread evenly across either country. The Spanish coast and islands, and the vast majority of France, are entirely unaffected and operating as normal.

Is your destination affected? Quick-check guide

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is the official source of UK travel advice. This is what it currently says for the areas most relevant to UK holidaymakers. Last checked: 27 July 2026. Check the live FCDO advice here.

Important: This table reflects FCDO advice at the date above. Conditions are changing quickly in both countries, so always check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice again close to your departure date : and bookmark it now.

Why the FCDO's advice is the one to watch

It's understandable to want to know whether it's "safe" to travel, but the most useful practical measure isn't a headline, it's the FCDO's official advice for your destination. This matters because it's the benchmark that airlines, tour operators and most insurers use to decide what your rights are.

As things stand, the FCDO has not advised against travel to any part of France or Spain, including the areas affected by the fires. That's a meaningful distinction: it's the difference between "proceed with care" and "don't go." What it has done is add specific, practical guidance for both countries:

• In France, it notes that wildfires are affecting parts of Gironde and Landes, that access to affected areas may be restricted, and that roads may close at short notice, with further evacuations possible. It also carries a standing seasonal warning that wildfires are a high risk across France from April to October.
• In Spain, it notes the national emergency covering Madrid and Ávila, and reports of wildfires in other inland areas.
• In both countries, it advises following the instructions of local authorities and emergency services at all times, and calling 112 for emergency help.

Because the advice hasn't tipped into "avoid travel," most of the automatic refund protections that hinge on a government warning won't currently apply. That's not a comment on how serious things are on the ground, just on how the system is built. It's also worth remembering the FCDO's own caveat that no travel can ever be guaranteed completely safe, and that its advice can and does change quickly, so check again close to departure.

Your rights if plans change

Whether you're covered, and for what, depends heavily on the details, but here's the plain-English version of the main protections.

If your flight is cancelled

Under UK261, if your airline cancels your flight, for any reason, you're entitled to either a full refund or an alternative flight to your destination. Delays and cancellations caused by extreme weather or safety-related airport restrictions are usually treated as "extraordinary circumstances," which means you're unlikely to be entitled to additional cash compensation, but your ticket cost itself is protected.

If your accommodation is evacuated or closed

If your accommodation sits inside an evacuation zone, or has been forced to close, you should be entitled to alternative accommodation or a refund, since the provider can't fulfil the booking. If you're booked somewhere near, but not inside, an affected area, that's less automatic, so contact your provider directly to ask about your options.

If you booked a package holiday

If your booking combines flights and accommodation (or other services) for one price from one provider, you have stronger protections under the Package Travel Regulations 2018. These are triggered most clearly if the FCDO formally advises against travel to your destination before you depart. Short of that, your operator's own flexible booking or rebooking policy is likely to be the relevant one, so it's worth checking what they're currently offering for affected departments and regions.

Don't cancel too early

Unless you're due to travel imminently and your destination is in a currently affected area, it's worth waiting rather than cancelling straight away. Insurers generally won't pay out for a change of heart, and cancelling early can forfeit a refund or rebooking option you might otherwise get closer to your departure date. Travel companies tend to prioritise anyone due to depart in the next day or two, so there's usually little to lose by waiting a little longer to see how things develop.

If you're travelling to, or already in, an affected area

If your trip takes you anywhere near Gironde, Landes, Madrid or Ávila, a few sensible habits will make a real difference:

• Follow local authorities, not social media. Instructions from prefects, mayors and emergency services take priority over anything you'll read online.
• Save the emergency number: 112. It works across both countries.
• Expect roads to close with little warning. If you're driving, build in flexibility, and don't attempt to push towards an active fire zone.
• Watch air quality if you're nearby but not evacuated. Local health authorities have advised limiting time outdoors, avoiding strenuous activity, and keeping windows closed when smoke is heavy.
• Use official information lines. France has a dedicated public line for the Gironde and Landes fires: +33 (0)9 70 80 90 40, 9am to 5pm (option 1 for Gironde, option 2 for Landes). The French wildfire map, Feux de Forêt, shows live alert levels by department.
• If you're told to leave, leave. A disrupted holiday is a far smaller cost than staying somewhere authorities have deemed unsafe.

If you're travelling anywhere in southern Europe more generally this summer, it's also worth knowing that both France and Spain carry a standing high wildfire risk through the summer season, roughly April to October, regardless of this particular event.

The bigger picture

This isn't happening in isolation. The area burned by wildfires across Europe has increased significantly since 2022, and the pattern is consistent with hotter, drier summers linked to climate change. It's a trend worth being aware of for future summer planning, even if it doesn't change the practical advice for a trip you've already booked. For now, the most useful thing any UK traveller can do is check the official advice, stay in contact with their provider, and keep a bit of flexibility in their plans, while keeping some perspective on the much harder few weeks this has been for the people whose homes and towns are in the path of the fires.

Your action checklist

• Check the FCDO advice for France and/or Spain today. Bookmark it: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. If it changes to "advise against travel" for your specific destination, your refund rights change with it.
• Contact your airline, accommodation and tour operator directly for the most current word on your specific booking.
• Check your travel insurance policy wording for "catastrophe" or natural disaster cover, rather than assuming either way.
• Don't cancel prematurely unless you're travelling imminently to a currently affected area. Waiting usually preserves more options than acting early.
• If you're already travelling, save 112 and keep local authority updates as your primary source of information.
• Use a credit card for any new bookings. Section 75 protection applies automatically to purchases between £100 and £30,000, at no extra cost to you.

Summary

For the vast majority of UK holidaymakers with trips to France or Spain this summer, nothing needs to change. The fires are serious and geographically specific, the FCDO has not advised against travel anywhere in either country, and most of the coast and islands are entirely unaffected. If your trip does take you near Gironde, Landes, Madrid or Ávila, the advice is simple: follow local authorities, keep your provider in the loop, and check your policy before assuming either way. We'll keep this page updated as the situation develops.