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Firefighters in France and Spain have managed to contain the vast wildfires near Bordeaux and Madrid, at least for now, officials in the two countries said. But they warned that the battle was far from over, with temperatures set to rise on Wednesday.
Officials in the Bordeaux region, where a fire has come within six miles of a factory that helps to build nuclear missiles, said on Wednesday morning that the night had been “calm” and that several overnight flare-ups had been contained. Laurent Nuñez, the French interior minister, said on Tuesday night that two smaller fires elsewhere in southern France had been brought under control.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said on Wednesday morning that the battle against the fires around Madrid, the largest in modern Spanish history, continued to evolve “favorably.” He shared a mixed message of optimism and caution, saying that firefighters were dousing hot spots to prevent flare-ups as temperatures surged.
“The next 12 hours are going to be very important — decisive,” Mr. Sánchez said.
The European Forest Fire Information System said parts of southwestern France and northern Spain would remain under “very extreme fire conditions” on Wednesday. Some areas could see temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) or even higher, the agency said. Large swaths of Spain were expected to see scorching temperatures for the rest of the week.
Much of Western Europe is in the grip of another spell of intense heat, the continent’s fourth since May. Officials have warned that a combination of prolonged dry weather, gusty winds, extreme temperatures and low humidity would significantly increase the risk of new wildfires igniting and existing blazes spreading.
