Disasters & Incidents
Spain lifts Avila wildfire evacuation orders
Spain authorised residents to return home on Wednesday to all towns evacuated because of a wildfire in Avila province, west of Madrid, as firefighters continued working on major blazes in the area.
The interior ministry said the evacuation measure ended immediately for all affected localities in Avila, listing 12 towns that had remained under the order. The government also announced the same measure for two more towns in the Madrid region.
Francisco Martin, the central government delegate for the Madrid region, said 24,000 people there had returned under measures announced on Tuesday and a further 1,500 would be able to return after Wednesday's announcement. He said 9,500 people remained evacuated in the Madrid region.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the next hours would be decisive in efforts to extinguish the other major wildfire nearby, in the Madrid region. Speaking at a command centre in Navalcarnero, he said work was progressing favourably but urged caution.
Emergency services have been working since last week to put out the Madrid-region blaze and another in neighbouring Avila province, which officials said was the worst in Spain's recent history. The fires forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.
Authorities said the wildfires have burned nearly 80,000 hectares overall. The government has said the Burgohondo fire in Avila burned around 50,000 hectares, making it Spain's largest wildfire since national forest-fire data began in 1961.
Update
Spain authorised residents to return to all towns evacuated in Avila province.
The interior ministry said 12 Avila towns had remained under the measure before it was lifted.
Spain also lifted evacuation measures for two more towns in the Madrid region.
Francisco Martin said 24,000 people had returned under Tuesday's measures and a further 1,500 could return after Wednesday's announcement.
Francisco Martin said 9,500 people remained evacuated in the Madrid region.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 13:44:31 UTC.
Update
Spain's government lifted the evacuation order for all affected towns in Avila province.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 12:31:43 UTC.
Update
Spain's government said the wildfire in the Avila region is now considered the largest in the country's modern history, with around 50,000 hectares burned.
The three largest wildfires recorded nationwide since EGIF data began in 1961 have all occurred within the past two years.
The Larouco, Ourense fire in August 2025 burned 37,765 hectares, according to provisional ministry figures.
The La Mierla, Guadalajara fire in July 2026 burned 32,000 hectares and was described as being in a stabilisation phase with favourable progress.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 11:17:41 UTC.
Update
Spain's Madrid-region delegate said 24,000 evacuees had been able to return home and 20,000 people had been released from confinement.
Spain's Madrid delegate's office said better overnight weather helped reduce fire intensity and stabilise the perimeter.
Pedro Sanchez said the next 12 hours would be decisive for consolidating work against a major wildfire near Madrid.
France's Gironde prefecture reported a second calm night and said the massive fire west of Bordeaux was stable.
Gironde and Landes were placed under an orange-level warning, with inland temperatures of 41C forecast and 38C on the coast.
Authorities said 57,000 residents of three towns near Bordeaux were to be allowed to return home.
Greek firefighters were battling a blaze on Paros with two aircraft, five helicopters and about 100 firefighters.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 09:51:00 UTC.
Update
Spain ended evacuation orders for 15 municipalities in the Madrid region and Avila province.
Spanish officials said the measures would allow 38,000 evacuees to return and 6,000 people to leave confinement.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said firefighters were starting to see progress but warned of difficult days ahead.
People from Haillan, Merignac and Eysines near Bordeaux were allowed to return if prepared to leave again.
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said the huge fire had stabilised but 14 nearby blazes had reignited.
Spain's AEMET weather agency declared a new heatwave from Wednesday through the end of the week.
EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said firefighting resources were stretched and warned of worsening fire risk in parts of Europe.
Portugal reported several fires in the north and centre, with more than 1,000 firefighters and other professionals deployed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 21:52:08 UTC.
Update
Municipal authorities initially estimated that around 50 homes were destroyed and another 50 damaged in Navas del Rey.
Residents of Navas del Rey were authorised to return on Tuesday after last week's evacuation.
The fire remained active a few kilometres away, with a new heatwave forecast for Wednesday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 19:31:37 UTC.
Update
Spanish residents forced from wildfire-hit areas began returning after evacuation orders were lifted for 13 municipalities.
France’s largest wildfire since 1949 has forced more than 220,000 people to flee and destroyed 240 houses, according to the AFP item.
Authorities in Gironde authorised nearly 60,000 evacuees from around Bordeaux to return, while 14 blazes around the main fire had reignited.
France evacuated 4,000 people from campsites in Lacanau as a precaution.
Spain’s AEMET forecast a new heatwave from Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 42C in the northeast and 39C in the centre.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 17:28:42 UTC.
Update
People evacuated from Haillan, Merignac and Eysines near Bordeaux were allowed to return home if prepared to leave again.
Gironde regional prefect Sophie Brocas said the huge fire in the region had stabilised and was not advancing.
Officials counted 14 blazes that had reignited around the Gironde fire.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 16:51:36 UTC.
Update
Spain ended evacuation orders for 13 municipalities in two wildfire-hit areas from 5:00 pm on Tuesday.
France evacuated 4,000 people from campsites west of Bordeaux as a precaution before forecast hotter, windier weather.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said firefighters were beginning to see progress against the fires, while warning difficult conditions remained.
EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said firefighting resources were stretched and fire risks were shifting toward parts of central Europe and Portugal.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 14:08:37 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The item says the fires have burned nearly 80,000 hectares overall, while the matched candidate separately says the Burgohondo fire in Avila burned around 50,000 hectares; the exact final burn areas may still change.
Source
AFP news report published on .