Thousands in Spain return home but new heatwave raises wildfire fears

Thousands of Spanish residents are returning to their homes after being evacuated due to wildfires, though a new heatwave is sparking concerns about renewed blazes. Restrictions have been lifted in the areas of Toledo, Madrid, Ávila, and Castellón, allowing people to go back. In the Madrid region alone, 24,000 individuals have been cleared to return, and lockdowns affecting another 20,000 have been lifted.

Both Spain and France are bracing for their fourth heatwave of the summer. Some fires continue to burn, including one near Burgohondo, 150km (93 miles) west of Madrid. In southwestern France, the largest fires in the Gironde region are described as "still stabilised" despite some flare-ups. However, officials are warning of dry winds and temperatures potentially reaching 41C (106F). Blandine Sarrazin, the mayor of Le Barp, southwest of Bordeaux, stated the situation was "getting harder" after two fires erupted the previous day, urging everyone to be "hyper-vigilant." Sixteen departments, including the Landes area, are under an orange heatwave alert.

In Gironde, the fire service has implemented special measures to safeguard sites crucial to France's defense and aerospace industries. These "Seveso" sites include facilities that produce hazardous materials for missiles and rockets. In Le Porge, Gironde, animal rescue volunteers saved a young roe deer, according to the mayor's office.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has indicated that the next 12 hours will be "decisive" in extinguishing the wildfire near the capital. He told reporters that "things are progressing favourably, with maximum caution," citing higher temperatures, lower humidity, and the risk of wind gusts. One fire remains uncontrolled at Vall d'Uixó, northwest of Valencia.

The fire in Ávila province near Burgohondo has already devastated over 43,000 hectares (108,000 acres), making it the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. It has displaced 40,000 people. Francisco Bolaños, part of the firefighting command team, noted that while the fire "has not moved a centimetre during the night," there are worries it could reignite due to rising temperatures. The current focus is on stabilizing a 180km (112 miles) perimeter. Fire service officials are cautioning that hotter temperatures and dry winds could reignite fires.

Many of the 2,000 people forced to evacuate from the Tiétar Valley fires were cared for by volunteers in Talavera de la Reina, south of the blaze. As of Wednesday morning, approximately 300 evacuees remained, and Mayor José Julián Gregorio assured Europa Press that they would continue to receive "the same level of care as on the first day."

While no fatalities have been reported in the fires around Madrid and in Castellon on the east coast, authorities in Seville have confirmed that a woman, severely burned in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería earlier this month, has died from her injuries in the hospital. Fourteen people died in the Almería fires, including UK, Belgian, US, French, and Spanish nationals.

Fires are also active in neighboring Portugal, specifically in the northeastern district of Vila Real. Civil protection officials informed public broadcaster RTP that there is an active front spanning a kilometer, and they are closely monitoring a local water treatment plant and a gas depot near Valpaços. Wildfires have also erupted in Greece, on the Aegean island of Paros and in the southern town of Trifylia on the mainland.