Thousands return home as new heatwave raises wildfire fears in Spain and France

Spanish authorities have lifted evacuation restrictions in the areas of Toledo, Madrid, Ávila, and Castellón, allowing thousands of people to return to their homes. In the Madrid region alone, 24,000 residents have been told they can return, and lockdowns on another 20,000 have been lifted.

However, some fires continue to burn, including one at Burgohondo, 150 km west of Madrid. That fire has ravaged more than 43,000 hectares and is now considered the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. It has forced 40,000 people from their homes. Francisco Bolaños, one of the directors of firefighting operations, said that while the fire had not moved a centimetre during the night, there were concerns it could reignite due to higher temperatures, and the focus was on stabilising a perimeter of 180 km.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the next 12 hours would be decisive in putting out the wildfire near the capital. He said things were progressing favourably but with maximum caution because of higher temperatures, lower humidity, and the risk of gusts of wind. One fire remains out of control at Vall d'Uixó north-west of Valencia.

In south-west France, the largest fires in the Gironde region are described as "still stabilised" despite several flare-ups, but officials warn of dry winds and temperatures of up to 41°C. Sixteen departments are under orange heatwave alert. The fire service has deployed special measures to protect several sites linked to France's defence and aerospace industries.

The mayor of Chapinería, Lucía Moya, told Telemadrid that the consequences for the town were very severe, with many residents losing their homes and jobs. Although no fatalities have been reported in the fires around Madrid and Castellón, authorities in Seville say a woman who was badly burned in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería earlier this month has died of her injuries in hospital. A total of 14 people died in the Almería fires, including UK and Belgian nationals.

Fires are also burning in neighbouring Portugal and Greece. Climate change is driving up temperatures worldwide, and Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, leading to more intense heatwaves and wildfires.