Two Firefighters Dead, 320,000 Evacuated as France and Spain Race to Contain Wildfires Before Next Heatwave

Two French firefighters died battling the Gironde wildfire on July 21. Across France and Spain, 320,000 people have been evacuated. Spain's Ávila fire burned 50,000 hectares — its largest on record. France's Gironde blaze, still uncontained, scorched 42,000. Officials call July 27–28 "absolutely crucial" before temperatures hit 40°C again.