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 tens of thousands from their homes.Spain lifted remaining evacuation orders for Avila province on Wednesday a day after doing so for several areas in the nearby Madrid region. While some evacuees returned to untouched homes, others found only devastation.
Fires in southwest France: Fires spread to edge of the Bordeaux metropolitan area © Sherine ELSAYARY, Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA, Sylvie HUSSON / AFP
"I'm happy -- I couldn't wait to come home and have my coffee and breakfast," said Maria Jesus Perez Blanca, in her seventies. She was one of about a dozen returnees at the cafes of Aldea del Fresno, west of Madrid on Wednesday morning.But 12 kilometres (eight miles) away in Pelayos de la Presa, David Rodriguez was knocking down the scorched remains of his home."It's a disaster. Just look at it," he said. "All my memories, everything I had was here. My dad built it 40 years ago and everything has been lost."Officials said on Wednesday that better overnight conditions had helped crews stabilise the fire area, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the coming hours would be "decisive" in the battle to extinguish all the remaining flames.In France, the Gironde region reported a second calm night and said the massive fire west of France's wine-making capital of Bordeaux was stable.'Extreme temperatures'Nevertheless, conditions were set to worsen as the fourth heatwave of an already intense summer arrived. Water-bombing planes and firefighters supported by volunteers battled a blaze near the seaside town of Lanton west of Bordeaux.Among the helpers was Jean-Claude Bonnet, 67, who said he had never seen anything like it. "The worst part is seeing the animals that have been burnt to death by the side of the road," he added.Shortly after the water-bombing planes left, emergency teams were called back into action as a whirlwind of stinging hot ash swept off the burning pine trees and the fire roared back into life.
