France allows 84,000 evacuated residents to return home after wildfire stabilization

Tens of thousands of residents evacuated due to a massive wildfire in southwestern France are now permitted to return to their homes. Authorities announced Thursday that 84,000 people can immediately go back, as the immense blaze near Bordeaux has been stabilized after raging for eight days.

This wildfire, the largest recorded in France since 1949, consumed approximately 42,000 hectares of land and necessitated the evacuation of over 220,000 people from the popular tourist region during the peak summer season. More than half of those evacuated have now had the evacuation orders lifted.

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The night was quite calm. This morning the fire remains stabilized. The burnt surface has not changed.

Firefighting efforts received a significant boost from improving weather conditions. After experiencing temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the region saw a predicted drop to 34 degrees Celsius on Thursday, accompanied by some rainfall. "The night was quite calm. This morning the fire remains stabilized. The burnt surface has not changed," a prefectural spokesperson stated early Thursday, noting that six active hotspots remain.

Matthieu Jomain, a spokesperson for the departmental fire service, described the meteorological situation as "much more acceptable" with "80% humidity in the air this morning." Despite the improved conditions, he urged continued caution. While the fire's origin is believed to be accidental, authorities had detained two individuals suspected of arson, a report the Bordeaux prosecutor's office later denied on Thursday morning.

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The situation is much more acceptable.