Authorities in France, Spain allow some wildfire evacuees to return
A handout photo made available by the Fire and Rescue Departmental Service 33 shows firefighters crew battling a fire near Le Porge, in southwestern France on Wednesday as a wildfire rages through the forest in Gironde. Photo by EPA
July 30 (UPI) — Tens of thousands of residents in Spain and France are returning home Thursday after being evacuated from wildfires that have torn through Europe.
Firefighters have contained wildfires near Madrid in Spain and in France’s Bordeaux region for the moment. However, authorities in both countries warn that there is still work to be done while Europe withstands conditions that are conducive to the fires spreading again.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Wednesday that firefighters were making progress, focusing on hot spots to prevent the fires from regaining momentum. Authorities later began lifting some evacuation orders.
France lifted evacuation orders for about 84,000 residents in the southwest region of the country Thursday. In total, about two-thirds of evacuees have been given the go-ahead to return to their homes.
While progress is being made in the fight, the heatwave in Europe continues. It has been one of Europe’s hottest summers ever recorded. Fires are still raging from Spain to Turkey. Northern Africa has also been battling wildfires for more than a week.
France is bracing for weather conditions Thursday that Sophie Brocas, prefect of the French department of Gironde, has called “unfavorable.” High winds, falling humidity and a chance of thunderstorms have increased the chances of renewed intensity.
Bordeaux received some rainfall Thursday.
In Spain and France alone, more than 300,000 acres have burned.