Spain began allowing thousands of evacuees to return home Sunday after firefighters gained ground against some of the worst wildfires the country has seen in decades, officials said. But the broader wildfire emergency across southern Europe continued as France battled fresh blazes and a fourth heatwave gripped the region, with Greece reporting two deaths from its own fires.
In Spain, cooler temperatures and calmer winds helped crews contain several large blazes that had forced mass evacuations in recent days. Authorities said the situation had improved enough to lift evacuation orders in some areas, though hot and dry conditions remained a risk.
France, meanwhile, faced new outbreaks of fire as temperatures soared again. Firefighters worked to contain flames in several locations, with officials warning that the heatwave would persist and raise the danger of further blazes.
Greece reported two fatalities from wildfires that have burned across multiple regions. The deaths underline the human cost of the emergency that has hit southern Europe this summer, with thousands of hectares of forest and farmland destroyed.
Meteorologists said the heatwave was expected to continue into the coming days, potentially breaking temperature records and complicating firefighting efforts across Spain, France, and Greece. The emergency also affected Portugal and Italy earlier in the season.