More than 20,000 people evacuated due to wildfires have begun returning to their homes near Madrid, as the situation has been assessed as favorable and authorities consider the coming hours crucial for bringing the fires under control.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he believes they are closer today to achieving the goal of overcoming the fires. He spoke from the operational command center in Navalcarnero, less than 40 kilometers southwest of the country’s capital, reports Figaro on its portal.
People have started returning home after firefighters made progress in containing the fires around Madrid and Ávila, reports the AP agency.
Rescue services reported on the X network that there were no flare-ups during the night. Authorities had anticipated this last night and lifted restrictions for 15 locations in the Madrid region and the neighboring province of Ávila, a large arid area but relatively densely populated, located several dozen kilometers from the capital.
“Specifically, 24,000 evacuated people were able to return to their homes, and 20,000 of them received permission that they no longer need to remain in their homes in the Madrid region,” said Madrid region prefect Francisco Martín Aguirre last night on the X network.
At the same time, firefighters continue efforts to consolidate the progress made yesterday, they stated on the X network, specifying that the return of evacuees is so far proceeding without incident.
“We have very important hours ahead,” said the Spanish Prime Minister. Because the brief period of favorable weather conditions for attempting to control the fires has passed after two good days, and with a new rise in temperatures up to an expected 37 degrees Celsius this afternoon and gusts of wind that could complicate the work of firefighters, the situation is once again becoming dangerous for fires.
The Spanish Prime Minister said he hopes that in the coming hours he will be able to announce that some evacuated residents from the Ávila region will also be able to return to their homes.
The new heatwave is expected to last at least until Sunday, according to the national meteorological agency Aemet, which has warned of the risk of extreme fires.
“The improvement in weather conditions overnight, as well as the work of firefighters and soldiers, contributed to reducing the intensity of the fire and favoring the stabilization of the perimeter, which will facilitate the definitive control of the fire,” the Madrid region prefecture announced on the X network. It is added that caution is still needed given the size of the fire and because a new heatwave is beginning.
The fires began about a week ago. The fire near Madrid is the largest in the region’s history, while the one in Ávila is the largest in Spain’s recent history, according to government data.
The Minister of the Interior said that since the beginning of the year, 175,000 hectares of land have already burned in fires in Spain.
At the peak of the crisis, about 330,000 people had to leave their homes and resorts across France and Spain.
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