France Prepares for More Evacuations as Spain Begins to Recover from Wildfires

Wildfires have burned through large parts of Spain and southwestern France, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. In Spain, officials lifted some evacuation orders on Tuesday, allowing residents to return to fire-damaged neighborhoods west of Madrid. But in France, authorities warned that a coming heatwave could cause major fires to flare up again and push thousands more people out of their homes. Both countries have been struggling with some of the worst wildfires in decades.

In the Spanish village of Navas del Rey, residents came back to find burned debris, ash, and charred cars left behind by the flames. Local officials estimated that around 50 homes were completely destroyed and another 50 were damaged. One resident, 62-year-old Maria Paz Bolanos, returned with her family and was relieved to find her home only slightly burned. 'We've been here 50 years,' she said. 'It's a miracle.'

The mayor of a nearby town called the scene 'a war zone.' Antonio Sin, mayor of Pelayos de la Presa, told reporters: 'It has been a horrendous fire, a brutal one — it's a monster that has run over us.' In total, about 60,000 people were forced to flee the Spanish fires. The blazes burned through 77,000 hectares — an area nearly the size of New York City.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the country was 'turning the tide' and could 'begin to see light at the end of the tunnel.' However, not everyone was so hopeful. Fernando Casado, a mayor near the edge of the flames, compared the fire to 'a sleeping kitten' at night but 'a mighty lion' during the day. Spain's weather agency also announced a new heatwave starting Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 42°C in some areas.

In France, the situation remained very serious. The largest French wildfire since 1949 had been burning west of the city of Bordeaux for six days. More than 220,000 people had already fled, and 240 houses were destroyed. A top government official said the fire had 'stabilised,' meaning it was no longer spreading, and allowed nearly 60,000 people to return to three villages nearby. But she warned that 14 smaller fires had reignited.

Firefighters and volunteers worked around the clock to battle the blazes. One volunteer, Pierre Marie, described dumping 8,000 litres of water on a burning area — only to have it catch fire again an hour later. 'We fear every day that passes,' he said, after working a 12-hour shift. Strong, dry winds near the Atlantic coast made conditions even more dangerous by whipping up the flames.

The French government said it would hold a special meeting on Thursday to talk about the impact on businesses. Officials estimated that around 130,000 workers could not do their jobs because of the fires. Meanwhile, some vacationers at the seaside village of Lacanau were told to leave their campsites as a precaution. One visitor said she was surprised at first because the sky looked blue and the fires seemed to be dying down.

Scientists say Europe's extreme heat and drought this year are linked to human-caused climate change. Unusually wet weather earlier in the year caused lots of plants to grow — but when heatwaves followed, that vegetation dried out and became easy fuel for fires. United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell warned that 'the climate alarm is blaring from every direction' and called for faster action to stop using fossil fuels. EU officials also warned that extreme heat could trigger new fires in central Europe.