France firefighters hopeful as Spain lifts wildfire emergency

Firefighters in France are hopeful that a week-long battle against a massive wildfire near Bordeaux is nearing its end. Temperatures have cooled, and the number of active hotspots has dropped significantly, leading the regional firefighting service to express "reasonably optimistic" sentiment. The fire, which has displaced 220,000 people and destroyed around 240 homes, has not spread beyond 42,000 hectares since the weekend.

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We've just reached a new threshold, a kind of tipping point.

"We've just reached a new threshold, a kind of tipping point," firefighting chief Marc Vermeulen stated midday Thursday, noting a reduction in hotspots. Local authorities have begun allowing residents to return to nine villages in the affected coastal region, which has experienced France's worst wildfire since 1949. However, some locals remain cautious. "Yesterday morning it was as calm as it is now, and then it all flared up again in the afternoon," said volunteer Maxence Cereja, recalling the unpredictable nature of the blaze.

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Yesterday morning it was as calm as it is now, and then it all flared up again in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Spain has lifted its state of emergency for wildfires near Madrid, as the flames have largely subsided. The fire west of the capital had burned 27,000 hectares and destroyed at least 100 homes. Both countries have been severely impacted by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, conditions scientists link to human-caused climate change. These have fueled some of the worst forest fires in living memory, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and burning vast tracts of land.

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There's thunder, that's good.