Europe wildfires start to get under control as scorching heatwave cools off

A firefighting plane drops water during fire extinguish works near Tabara, north-west Spain
AP
Lily Waddell21 July 2022

Wildfires are now being tamed in Europe as cooler temperatures were recorded on Thursday.

The brutal heatwave has seen temperatures above 40C as wildfires have spread across the continent.

There were no outbreaks of fires reported in Portugal.

In France, firefighters have started to bring two huge fires under control as the searing heat cools off after more than a week of tackling the blazes.

The Gironde region’s fire service said both fires, which forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, were contained.

The fire service said it expects to have damped down flare-ups and tamed the fires' embers within days.

Officials said they will probably be able to declare the fires completely extinguished within weeks.

Meanwhile Spain tamed a fire that killed two people last weekend.

Firefighters were tackling nine blazes with two said to be especially dangerous in northwestern Galicia.

The 11,000 people who were evacuated because of the fires have started returning home.

Also, a major highway in the northwestern Zamora province reopened after two days.

Sizzling temperatures above 40C and a drought have worsened the wildfires in Spain but now forecasts have predicted highs of 32C for Thursday.

In Greece, the blaze fuelled by gale-force winds was tamed after it broke out in the mountains north of Athens and sparked the evacuation of residents.

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