France Wildfire Near Spain Border Comes Under Control

The devastating wildfire near the France-Spain border is gradually coming under control after keeping authorities in both countries on high alert for nearly a week. The blaze, which erupted last Friday, has scorched nearly 42,000 hectares of forest—an area estimated to be four times larger than the city of Paris. As the situation improves, French authorities have permitted 84,000 people to return to their homes after evacuating nearly 200,000 residents as a precaution during the emergency.

Officials said favourable weather conditions, including higher humidity, cooler temperatures, and light rainfall in some affected areas, have significantly helped firefighting efforts. The French government confirmed that the fire did not spread overnight but stressed that emergency services remain on alert. Around 2,200 firefighters and 20 aircraft are continuing operations to completely extinguish the flames. Light rain in the Bordeaux region has further improved conditions, and authorities expect more evacuees to return home once the wildfire is fully contained.