Spain Returns Wildfire Evacuees as France Braces for Worsening Weather
Authorities said 24,000 evacuees returned home in Madrid as crews worked to stabilize fires that burned about 77,000 hectares.
- On Wednesday, thousands of Spaniards began returning home as the government lifted evacuation orders in Madrid and Avila, where crews have contained some of the country's most intense modern forest fires.
- High winds and a new heatwave complicated Spain's efforts to battle fires that consumed around 77,000 hectares, an area almost the size of New York City.
- Central government delegate Francisco Mart said late on Tuesday that "24,000 evacuated individuals have been able to return to their homes," with another 20,000 released from confinement in the Community of Madrid.
- Similar restrictions were eased in Castellon near Valencia, while the European Forest Fire Information System reports 207,000 hectares have burned nationwide this year, a record for the January to July period.
- Better overnight weather conditions helped crews reduce fire intensity and stabilize the perimeter, as Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that work continues to extinguish remaining flames.
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23 Articles
With a "favourable" situation in the fight against the forest fire near Madrid, more than 20,000 evacuees have returned to their homes, the next 12 hours being "deciding" to control the fire that has been raging for almost a week, said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday.
Spanish wildfire evacuees start returning home
ALDEA DEL FRESNO, Spain - Thousands of Spaniards evacuated from the path of huge wildfires were returning home on Wednesday while in France firefighters braced for worsening conditions in their own battle with raging flames.
Spain returns wildfire evacuees as France braces for worsening weather
The neighbouring countries have been gripped by some of the worst forest fires in living memory over the past week, burning vast areas and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Late on Tuesday, Spain lifted more than a dozen evacuation orders for municipalities west of the capital Madrid, the centre of the worst of the fires. "24,000 evacuated individuals have been able to return to their homes, and another 20,000 have been rele…
Thousands of evacuees return home as firefighters contain Spain's blazes
Thousands of Spaniards evacuated during massive wildfires started to return home on Wednesday as the government said it was working to contain some of the worst forest fires in the country's modern history.
LIVE A persistent heatwave is prevailing in (southern) Europe, while various forest and wildfires are raging. Follow all updates on the forest fires in this live blog.
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