Thousands of people evacuated because of wildfires in Spain have been permitted to return to their homes after authorities lifted restrictions in areas including Toledo, Madrid, Ávila, and Castellón. In the Madrid region alone, 24,000 people have been told they can return, and lockdowns for another 20,000 have been lifted.
However, Spain and France are both bracing for the start of their fourth heatwave this summer. Some fires continue to burn, including one at Burgohondo, 150km (93 miles) west of Madrid, which has ravaged over 43,000 hectares and is now considered the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. Officials in south-west France warn of dry winds and temperatures up to 41C (106F), with 16 departments under orange heatwave alert.
One fire remains out of control at Vall d'Uixó north-west of Valencia. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the next 12 hours would be "decisive" in putting out the wildfire near the capital, citing higher temperatures, lower humidity, and the risk of wind gusts. Although no fatalities have been reported in the fires around Madrid and Castellón, a woman badly burned in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería earlier this month has died of her injuries in hospital in Seville.