Spain ends evacuation orders for 13 municipalities in fire-hit regions

MADRID: Spain has ended evacuation orders for 13 municipalities in two areas hit by wildfires, starting from 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, the interior ministry said.

The lifting of the order means “residents can begin returning to their homes,” the ministry told AFP, without specifying how many residents were affected.

At a Civil Guard checkpoint near Chapineria and Navas del Rey – two villages that were fully evacuated several days ago –  a queue of more than 20 vehicles quickly formed after authorities announced the measure, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Spain’s government declared a national emergency last week over wildfires that have forced some 60,000 people to flee their homes and consumed 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) – an area almost the size of New York City.

The move came as authorities reported encouraging developments in the battle against fires that remain uncontrolled in parts of central and eastern Spain.

“We are at the stage of containing the fire,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters at the command centre in Navalcarnero.

“Our concern is to continue consolidating the fire and reach stabilisation,” he said, warning of a “difficult” weather situation as temperatures were expected to rise from Tuesday.

A similar easing of restrictions had already taken place in the eastern area of Castellon, where the municipality of Vall d’Uixo lifted a confinement order for residents on Tuesday morning.