France and Spain saw a reprieve from some of the worst wildfires in living memory on Thursday, as a massive blaze in southwestern France stopped advancing and most evacuees west of Madrid were allowed to return home. The wildfires have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee, including Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, Amal. In France, local authorities said the fire that had devastated the region was no longer spreading, raising hopes the crisis was easing. In Spain, the state of emergency was lifted, allowing most of the tens of thousands evacuated from areas west of Madrid to go back. However, firefighters remained locked in battles against major blazes in the United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, and Turkey.