New French Fires Erupt as Spain Eases Evacuations After Record Blazes
Spain is lifting evacuation orders after devastating fires, but fresh blazes in France's wine and tourist regions highlight a record-breaking wildfire season that poses a growing physical risk to European land and local economies.
Spain lifted remaining evacuation orders on Wednesday as firefighters gained ground on blazes near Madrid and in Avila province. Across the border, France faced a fresh wave of outbreaks as a fourth summer heatwave gripped the region. The contrasting situations underscore the erratic and prolonged nature of this year's wildfire emergency across southern Europe.
The return of Spanish evacuees revealed a stark divide in the physical damage left behind. In Aldea del Fresno, west of Madrid, Maria Jesus Perez Blanca was relieved to be back. "I'm happy -- I couldn't wait to come home and have my coffee and breakfast," she said.
Just eight miles away in Pelayos de la Presa, David Rodriguez was left knocking down the scorched remains of the home his father built 40 years ago. "It's a disaster. Just look at it," he said. "All my memories, everything I had was here."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez noted that the coming hours would be "decisive" in extinguishing the remaining flames. Officials credited better overnight conditions with helping crews stabilise the fire area.
In France, officials reported a second calm night in the Gironde region, keeping the massive blaze near the wine-making capital of Bordeaux stable. "If the night goes well, we can reasonably be more optimistic for tomorrow and the days to come," said Sophie Brocas, a senior regional official.
However, the southeastern Var region saw 600 people flee a new fire along the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Nice. This fresh outbreak erupted less than a day after a previous blaze in the same area was brought under control.
The geographic spread of the fires is touching core European economic assets, particularly agriculture and tourism. A separate 125-hectare blaze swept through the Combe du Vaulon, a dry valley in the wine-growing commune of Couchey near Dijon. In Turkey, hundreds of people were evacuated from around southern tourist beaches as emergency crews battled separate flames.
The sheer scale of land destruction is breaking historical records. In France, 92,000 hectares have burned between January and July, the largest area documented in two decades of record-keeping. Spain has recorded 207,000 hectares burned over the same period, among the worst on record according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
Scientists attribute the extreme conditions to human-caused climate change. Wet weather earlier in the year spurred vegetation growth that has now parched into tinder. The European Union warned this week that these fire-prone conditions will push further into the continent's centre in the coming days. Emergency responders are already stretched thin, with three firefighters dying in Greece and crews actively battling a blaze on the island of Paros.
