Wildfires create their own storms as France burns

Firefighters in France are facing a terrifying new threat: wildfires that create their own thunderstorms. A "pyrocumulonimbus" – a fire-generated thunderstorm – has appeared in southwestern France for what experts believe is the first time. This phenomenon whips up unpredictable winds, making it much harder to contain blazes and predict their path. It is already known in North America and Australia. The event comes as France suffers its third major heatwave of the summer and prepares for a fourth. The statistics are stark. More French land has already burned this year than in all of 2025, when 30,000 hectares were destroyed. In the Gironde region alone, 220,000 people have been evacuated. Spain is also suffering. The environment ministry there reports over 170,000 hectares have burned, compared to 29,000 last year. More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. These fires are a clear sign of a warming planet. But as the crisis deepens, climate policies are being deprioritized. The new reality demands urgent political action.