SEVILLE, Spain — French President Emmanuel Macron called a crisis meeting Monday to coordinate efforts to fight the wildfires in southern France that have forced the evacuation of more than 250,000 people.
The emergency session came as the active fire in the Gironde region of southwest France slowed down overnight into Monday, offering a first sign of relief after the flames burned more than 100,000 acres.
The prefecture of Gironde said the situation overnight had remained stable, a welcomed change after the wildfire came close to the wine region of Bordeaux over the weekend.
No new evacuations were ordered on Monday. Over 220,000 residents were evacuated in the region alone. But authorities took some precautionary steps, banning holiday camps for children, as Gironde is a popular tourist destination.
On the ground, firefighters worked tirelessly to make progress, in a race against time, before a forecast surge in temperatures this week could complicate efforts to put out the fires.
In a weekend social media post, Macron pledged long-term support for communities hit by the fires, saying: "We will rebuild, we will repair and we will be present for as long as necessary."
In Spain, a fire in the region of Madrid, which has burnt over 60,000 acres, was still active on Monday. Firefighting crews were making progress in trying to keep the blaze under control, but strong wind gusts were complicating those efforts.
That fire came close to another large blaze, in the region of Ávila, over the weekend. That fire has burnt over 100,000 acres.
Authorities said on Sunday the two large fires had been brought under control, after a difficult day on Saturday when authorities had openly said the two large fires were uncontained.
A third major fire in eastern Spain, in the region of Castellón, has impacted about 75,000 people, with some of them evacuated, and others asked to remain at their properties. That wildfire is still active, although it has slowed down, and authorities hope it will come under control by Tuesday.
On Monday, Aemet, Spain's national meteorology agency, forecast the fourth heat wave so far this summer, starting Wednesday. That leaves authorities with 24 hours to contain the wildfires before conditions worsen considerably. This summer is on track to be the hottest on record in Spain, according to Aemet.
The devastating wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes.
More than 242,000 acres have been burned in France this year — a historic record — French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said Saturday.
Fires have burned over 300,000 acres already this year in Spain, up from an annual average of 250,000 acres over the past decade, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday, placing the focus on the impact of climate change.
The fires also affected the Tour de France, the country's annual cycling race, which ended Sunday. The route for the race's final stage was shortened because security and police for the event were reassigned to assist with the fires, organizers said.
NPR's Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.
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