Mass evacuations and lockdowns began to be lifted gradually across wildfire-hit areas of Spain on Tuesday, allowing thousands of people to return home and assess the damage done to their homes and territories.
Spain has ended evacuation orders for 13 municipalities in two central areas of the country 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.
MAP: Where are the wildfires in Spain right now?
At a Civil Guard checkpoint near Chapinería 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.
READ ALSO: Firefighters make progress in battle against Spain’s wildfires
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 Castellón in Spain’s Valencia region, where the municipality of Vall d’Uixo lifted a confinement order for residents on Tuesday morning.
The Valencian government has lifted restrictions in La Vilavella, allowing some 6,000 residents to return to normal life in the Vall d’Uixó area.
Although some 16,000 people were displaced throughout the province, the advance of the fire has slowed considerably.
With additional reporting by The Local Spain’s Alex Dunham
