San Francisco Frontiers - France evacuates thousands as Spain PM says tide turning in wildfire fight

Firefighters in France and Spain were battling to contain the worst wildfires in living memory before the arrival of a fourth heatwave of the summer brings scorching temperatures.

Flames have torn through vast swathes of forest in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Marielle Mourgeon was among some 4,000 people forced to cut their holidays short in the seaside village of Lacanau, near Bordeaux, after authorities ordered them to evacuate camping sites as a precautionary measure.

"At first I thought my husband was joking, with the blue sky and the fires dying down," she said.

Conditions, though, are set to worsen as a fresh heatwave hits western Europe this week -- with oven-like temperatures returning in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday, according to meteorologists.

French firefighters were "on the offensive" insisted commander Eric Pitault, as he stood in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula, though he admitted his teams were tired.

- Light at tunnel's end -

Over the past six days, the largest French wildfire since 1949 has raged west of Bordeaux, forcing more than 220,000 people to flee and destroying 240 houses.

The prefect's office said that while there had been flare-ups overnight in the north of the peninsula, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.

In Spain, the worst of the fires have been west of the capital Madrid, in mountainous terrain.

Despite the looming heatwave, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that "we are indeed turning the tide, and we can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires".

Fernando Casado, mayor of Robledo de Chavela, a village at the northern end of the flames, was more cautious.

"It is true that at night it (the fire) is a sleeping kitten, but during the day it can be a mighty lion. The next few hours are crucial."

Outside Aldea del Fresno, on the eastern edge of the vast fires, evacuated locals queued up in their cars in the hope of returning to properties and pets.

They were among 60,000 people forced to flee by fires that have consumed 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) in Spain, an area almost the size of New York City.

For now, though, the Guardia Civil gendarmerie was blocking their return, blaming the risk of smoke inhalation.

Galia Borisova, a 55-year-old domestic helper, wanted to reach her animals in nearby Picadas but was having to wait.

"They say there's so much smoke that you can't breathe, even with a mask. And I believe it, because you could see it from here," she said.

- 'Extreme conditions' -

Europe has been gripped by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change.

Extreme heat has parched the ground and dried out vegetation that had grown vigorously during wet and mild weather earlier in the year, creating tinderbox conditions.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said "the climate alarm is blaring from every direction" and called for a quick end to fossil fuels.

While the focus is currently on western Europe, the EU's crisis management chief warned that conditions elsewhere on the continent could spark new fires, stretching already strained resources.

"Extreme conditions are looming for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in addition to France, the Iberian Peninsula... where the situation is expected to worsen, including in Portugal starting today," commissioner Hadja Lahbib said.

Spain's meteorological agency AEMET announced a new heatwave starting on Wednesday and lasting until at least the end of the week, with temperatures forecast to hit 42C in the northeast and 39C in the centre.

MeteoFrance also forecast more hot weather of up to 40C from Tuesday with dry wind.

Firefighting commander Matthieu Jomain warned that the conditions were similar to those when the fire started.

"It's evidence of the precariousness of the situation," he told AFP as the planes flew above.

burs-dcp/st

D.Robinson--SFF