French defence sites shielded as fourth heatwave fuels European wildfires
Thousands of evacuated Spaniards are returning home, but a fourth summer heatwave is reigniting wildfires across southern Europe and forcing French authorities to deploy special protections around critical aerospace and defence factories.
Spanish authorities have lifted restrictions in Toledo, Madrid, Ávila and Castellón, allowing 24,000 people in the Madrid region alone to return to their homes. The reprieve comes as Spain and France brace for a fourth heatwave this summer. The extreme weather threatens to reverse recent progress against blazes that have already destroyed a record amount of land.
In south-west France, sixteen districts including the Landes area are under orange heatwave alerts as officials warn dry winds and temperatures of up to 41C could spark new flare-ups in the Gironde region. The largest fires there are currently described as "still stabilised", though the threat to industrial infrastructure remains severe. Fire services have implemented special measures to protect "Seveso" sites linked to France's defence and aerospace industries, including plants manufacturing hazardous materials for missiles and rockets.
Blandine Sarrazin, the mayor of Le Barp, warned the situation was "getting harder" and said residents must be "hyper-vigilant" after two new fires broke out recently.
The situation in Spain remains volatile. A fire at Burgohondo has ravaged more than 43,000 hectares, making it the largest recorded wildfire in the country's history and forcing 40,000 people from their homes. Francisco Bolaños, part of the directing team, noted the fire "has not moved a centimetre during the night" but warned the 180km perimeter could re-ignite. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the next 12 hours will be "decisive", adding that "things are progressing favourably, with maximum caution" near the capital.
Further east, a fire at Vall d'Uixó north-west of Valencia remains completely out of control. The human cost of the summer's fires was underscored by the death of a woman in Seville who suffered severe burns in the Almería fires earlier this month. Fourteen people died in those Almería blazes, including citizens of the UK, Belgium, the US, France and Spain.
Fires are also active in Portugal near a gas depot and water treatment plant in Vila Real, and in Greece on the island of Paros and the mainland town of Trifylia.
