While the fierce wildfires that have been ravaging southwestern France for six days temporarily slowed their spread on the 27th local time, authorities remain on high alert as temperatures are forecast to rise again starting on the 28th.

According to the daily Le Figaro, about an hour of rain fell overnight from the 26th to the 27th in the Gironde department in the southwest, which has suffered heavy wildfire damage, preventing the fires from spreading further.

The wildfires, which broke out along the coast of this region on the 22nd, have moved eastward carried by westerly winds, burning 42,000 hectares to date.

As the wildfires spread, local authorities preemptively evacuated 220,000 residents to safe zones.

The day before, the fires spread to a point 15 kilometers away from Bordeaux, the regional capital of Gironde and a renowned wine-producing region, heightening the crisis.

However, local authorities in Gironde stated in a press release that morning, "Conditions remained generally stable overnight," adding, "Firefighters are carrying out their duties at the scene with all their might."

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also stated during a press conference that day that while the Gironde wildfires have stabilized, they are not yet extinguished, explaining, "They did not spread overnight, but they are still burning."

Minister Nunez added that 116,085 hectares have been destroyed by wildfires across France alone this year, noting that France is experiencing an "unprecedented, completely exceptional season."

Authorities are concerned that wildfire suppression work will become even more difficult due to weather forecasts predicting that heatwaves will return to most parts of the country starting on the 28th.

The meteorological agency stated that this heatwave is expected to peak on the 29th, with temperatures soaring up to 40°C (104°F) in the region where wildfire suppression efforts are in full swing.

To put out the urgent fires before the heatwave hits, local residents have also stepped up.

Farmers loaded water tanks onto trucks to help firefighters or cut down trees and cleared bushes to create firebreaks to stop the spread of the flames.

Local businesses also supported the firefighting efforts by providing trucks and water tanks to supply the water needed for suppression work.

Additional EU-level support is also continuing.

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib told AFP, "Currently, nine aircraft are deployed at the scene, and two additional helicopters will be deployed starting on the 28th, bringing the total to 11."

The German military also utilized A400M transport aircraft to provide two transport helicopters, firefighting equipment, and other firefighting supplies to France to support French forces engaged in wildfire suppression, dpa reported.

The German support troops are scheduled to carry out their mission for five days initially.

In Romania, 40 firefighters joined in extinguishing fires in the Var region of southern France.

After convening a ministerial crisis response meeting that morning and later visiting the Bordeaux response headquarters in the late afternoon, President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to the firefighters, military personnel, and volunteers fighting desperately at the scene.

He expressed condolences to the two firefighters who died during firefighting operations.

President Macron encouraged them, saying, "The coming weeks will be difficult times," and "We will overcome this fight against wildfires together."

President Macron also stated, "Structural changes due to climate change will no longer be the same as before," adding, "We must replant and rebuild forests with a different appearance."

In Spain as well, the area burned by wildfires this year alone has reached 153,000 hectares, six times that of the same period last year.

It is estimated that a total of 77,000 hectares burned across the capital Madrid, Toledo, and Avila regions.

Among them, the Avila wildfire burned 50,000 hectares—five times the area of Barcelona—recording it as the largest scale in Spain's history.

Fortunately, while the wildfires in these regions are not completely under control, they are showing some progress in suppression.

The regional government of Madrid stated, "The spread speed of the wildfire in the western part of the Madrid region has slowed down and the situation has improved somewhat," while urging, "However, as the wildfires continue, residents must exercise extreme caution."

In addition, BBC and AFP reported that returning home has been permitted in some villages, and evacuated residents have begun returning to their homes.

However, Spain is also facing heatwaves this week, putting them in a situation where they must race against time.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told AFP, "Today and tomorrow are absolutely crucial days," and "Weather conditions are forecast to be unfavorable for suppression starting Wednesday (the 29th)."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that day, "What we are experiencing is not a succession of isolated individual events, but the most painful manifestation of a climate emergency," adding, "Wildfires have become fiercer, heatwaves more frequent, and our land more vulnerable."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)