France and Spain continued battling major wildfires on Tuesday as rising temperatures, low humidity and shifting winds threatened to reignite flames and hamper containment efforts.
The prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde, Sophie Brocas told broadcaster BFMTV that they recorded "14 flare-ups" during the day in areas already affected by fire.
Brocas noted that the fire remains stabilized although still not contained. "That means it is not spreading," she explained.
Earlier in the day, Brocas warned that the situation with the fires is “highly unpredictable.”
In southwestern France, authorities evacuated around 4,000 people from campsites in Lacanau, according to the Gironde prefecture.
The Gironde megafire remained stabilized but uncontrolled after burning 42,000 hectares (103,784 acres) since July 22, with no increase in the affected area overnight, local authorities said.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 35C (95F) in Gironde and 37C (98.6F) in the neighboring Landes department, while changing wind directions could make the fire’s behavior difficult to predict.
Around 2,750 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel, 1,440 members of the security forces and 18 aircraft were deployed to battle the blaze.
Extending the restrictions requested by Gironde prefecture, rail operator SNCF announced that high-speed trains will not run Wednesday south of Bordeaux except those serving Toulouse and Tarbes.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced late Tuesday that the fire in the southeastern Var department was contained after burning nearly 4,800 hectares (11,861 acres) since July 21.
"Authorities remain on full alert: surveillance operations, efforts to secure and treat the 160 kilometers (99 miles) of the fire perimeter, and other safety measures are continuing to prevent any flare-ups," he wrote on US social media platform X.
Nunez also announced that a suspected arsonist had been arrested and placed in pretrial detention.
Authorities announced throughout the day that the residents of several evacuated municipalities across Var and Gironde could begin returning to their homes.
Seven French departments were placed under an orange alert for a high risk of forest fires.
Volunteer firefighter Laurent Masson, 38, was killed “in the line of duty” when the fire engine he was driving skidded off the road in Bouches-du-Rhone. Four firefighters were slightly injured in a separate accident in the Var department.
In Spain, the major wildfires in Madrid and Avila remain active while the blazes began to subside as the country is bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer.
Fires have already burned about 50,000 hectares (123,553 acres) in Avila, 28,000 hectares (69,190 acres) in Madrid, and 8,500 hectares (21,004 acres) in Castellon. The total area burned nationwide has reached 172,400 hectares (425,977 acres) this year, according to public broadcaster RTVE.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the wildfires in Avila and Madrid had not advanced in the past 24 hours, with the fire perimeter remaining unchanged from the previous day, according to El Pais.
"The forecast is reasonably optimistic. The weather conditions aren't helping at all, but we have some outstanding professionals ... who have managed to bring the fire under control, and they are now in a phase of complete containment and will see if it's possible to begin extinguishing it completely," he said.
More than 180,000 people were evacuated or confined across Spain. Interior Ministry on late Tuesday announced lifting evacuation orders for 15 municipalities across Avila and Madrid.
Around 9,000 inhabitants of Castellon and 6,000 of Toledo are also expected to return to their homes.
Madrid is also beginning to gradually reopen roads affected by the wildfires, as the de-escalation progresses and safety conditions allow.
Marlaska earlier described the Avila blaze as the “most significant and most aggressive fire in Spain’s history.”
More than 400 emergency personnel worked overnight to contain the Valdemaqueda fire in Madrid before southerly winds were expected to intensify.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 36-38C (96.8–100.4F) across much of Spain and exceed 40C (104F) in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir valleys.
