Evacuees return home as Spain and France brace for fourth summer heatwave
Thousands of people displaced by wildfires in central Spain have been allowed to go back to their homes, while Spain and France prepare for another heatwave and ongoing fires.
Spanish authorities have lifted evacuation orders for thousands of residents in the provinces of Toledo, Madrid, Ávila and Castellón, allowing them to return to their homes. In the Madrid region, 24,000 people have been cleared to go back and restrictions on another 20,000 have been removed.
Both Spain and France are preparing for the fourth heatwave of the summer, with several fires still burning. A blaze near Burgohondo, about 150 km west of Madrid, continues to spread, while the largest fires in France’s Gironde region are described as "still stabilised" despite occasional flare-ups and forecast temperatures of up to 41°C.
"The situation is getting harder and everyone must be hyper-vigilant," said Blandine Sarrazin, mayor of Le Barp near Bordeaux.
French fire services have deployed special measures to protect sites linked to the country’s defence and aerospace sectors, including plants that produce hazardous materials for missiles and rockets.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the next 12 hours would be decisive in containing the wildfire near the capital. "Things are progressing favourably, with maximum caution," he told reporters, noting the threat of higher temperatures, lower humidity and gusty winds.
The Burgohondo fire in Ávila province has burned more than 43,000 hectares, making it the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. The blaze has displaced around 40,000 people. Francisco Bolaños, a firefighting operations coordinator, said the fire had not moved overnight but could reignite as temperatures rise, and that crews are focusing on stabilising a 180-km perimeter.
About 1,000 residents of Navas del Rey and Chapinería, west of Madrid, have returned after staying in Leganés. Chapinería’s mayor, Lucía Moya, said the town faces severe damage and a long recovery.
Volunteers in Talavera de la Reina have been assisting roughly 2,000 evacuees from the nearby Tiétar Valley, while around 300 people remain in temporary accommodation. Mayor José Julián Gregorio said they would continue to receive the same level of care as on the first day.
No fatalities have been reported in the fires around Madrid and Castellón, but a woman who was severely burned in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería earlier this month died of her injuries in a Seville hospital.
Civil protection officials in Portugal have reported an active fire front near Valpaços and are monitoring a local water-treatment plant and a gas depot.