Wildfires Ease in France and Spain as New Blazes Erupt Near Portugal Border

Firefighters in France expressed optimism on Thursday that a massive wildfire in the country's southwest was no longer spreading, while authorities in Spain reported that major fires near Madrid had been brought under control. However, a new wildfire broke out near the Portuguese border, highlighting the continued fire risk across southern Europe.

Europe has been battered by successive heatwaves and severe drought this year, conditions that scientists largely attribute to human-induced climate change.

According to AFP, some of the worst wildfires in recent memory have swept through parts of France and Spain over the past week, scorching vast areas of forest and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

Light rainfall near Bordeaux on Thursday raised hopes that firefighters would soon gain control of the blaze burning through coastal pine forests.

Authorities also began allowing some of the 220,000 evacuated residents to return to their homes.

Thunderstorms and light rain were reported in the coastal town of Lège-Cap-Ferret, where France's worst wildfire since 1949 has been raging.

"The thunder is a good sign," one firefighter at the emergency command center said.

Regional fire officials said they were encouraged because the blaze, which began a week ago, had not spread beyond 42,000 hectares by the end of the week.

The fire has destroyed 240 homes, burning an area larger than the U.S. city of Detroit.

Regional fire chief Marc Vermeulen said firefighters would continue spraying water on remaining hotspots for several more days to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Authorities also announced that residents of nine villages would be allowed to return home, while the main highway south of Bordeaux was expected to reopen later on Thursday.

In Spain, an AFP reporter said large areas surrounding a fire station outside San Martín de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, had been burned.

Officials said the wildfire in the region has scorched 27,000 hectares since last week and destroyed at least 100 homes.

By Thursday morning, only about 1,000 residents remained in evacuation shelters after thousands had been allowed to return home the previous day.

However, a new wildfire broke out on Wednesday near Fermoselle, close to the Portuguese border, prompting the evacuation of more than 600 people, according to emergency services.

Further west, a wildfire in Ávila Province, burning since last week, has become Spain's largest wildfire since official records began in 1961, consuming nearly 50,000 hectares.

The repeated heatwaves and devastating wildfires are prompting many Europeans to reconsider the long-term impacts of climate change.

Kevin Montmartre, an Uber driver from the coastal town of Andernos-les-Bains near Bordeaux, said he had been forced to evacuate his home three times since the fires began.

"To be honest, my wife and I have talked about it," he said while driving through the rain in Bordeaux. "If fires like this happen again over the next few years, we'll sell the house."

Elsewhere in Europe, thousands of people were evacuated after a wildfire spread toward a tourist resort on the Greek island of Crete late Wednesday.

Authorities said strong winds continued to fuel the blaze on Thursday.

Local official Maria Leoni said homes, agricultural facilities, and livestock were believed to have been damaged, although the full extent of the destruction remained unclear because the fire was still burning.

Meanwhile, Turkey was battling at least 115 wildfires across the country.

Agriculture Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said firefighters had successfully brought at least 110 of those fires under control, while efforts continued to contain the remaining blazes.