One of the largest fire crises in recent years continues in France and Spain. On Tuesday, French authorities ordered the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from tourist areas along the Atlantic coast, as the return of hot weather complicated efforts to fight a major wildfire west of Bordeaux, the Associated Press reports.

The blaze in the Gironde department was temporarily contained after a calm night. Firefighters managed to bring new flare-ups near the coastal dunes under control, and the burned area remains at about 420 square kilometers.

However, the authorities describe the situation as only “stabilized,” not fully under control. If temperatures rise and humidity drops, the fire could spread again.

The evacuation affected campgrounds, holiday villages, hotel complexes, and recreation areas around the resort town of Lacanau, including the Lacanau-Océan district and the shores of Lake Lacanau.

“We are in a vulnerable situation. We will continue fighting the fire despite the expected rise in temperature,” said Eric Brocardi, a representative of the National Federation of Firefighters of France.

According to the authorities, the fire has destroyed about 42,000 hectares of forest in the Landes de Gascogne forest area near Bordeaux. This region is considered an important center of the forestry industry and one of the largest maritime pine forests in Europe.

France’s meteorological service issued a “yellow” heat warning for Gironde. Temperatures of up to 33–35 degrees Celsius are expected inland, and the combination of heat, wind, and low humidity increases the risk of new fires.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,160 square kilometers of land have burned in France, the Interior Ministry said.

The fire in Gironde has been burning since last week and is highly unpredictable. In some cases, it has turned into powerful firestorms. The burned area is already four times larger than the territory of Paris. About 220,000 people had previously been evacuated because of this fire.

Authorities warn that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures, and dry air could lead to new outbreaks. Military engineers and wildfire prevention specialists continue to create firebreaks. So far, about 103 kilometers of such barriers have been prepared.

In total, 93 firefighters have been injured in France.

In the neighboring Landes area, thousands of evacuated residents have already begun returning home after another major fire stopped spreading. That blaze forced more than 30,000 residents and tourists to leave their homes.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the fire in Landes had been “stopped,” but authorities emphasize that it has not been fully extinguished. Smoldering areas, wind, and drought could trigger new flare-ups, so monitoring of the situation will continue for several more days or weeks.

Meanwhile in Spain, hundreds of firefighters, supported by military units and aircraft, continue battling several major wildfires.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that firefighters’ overnight work had produced a “moderately positive result,” but warned of a possible worsening of the situation due to a new heat wave.

Spain’s meteorological service said the country is preparing for its fourth heat wave this summer, with temperatures in some regions potentially exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

In Spain, about 79,000 people have already been evacuated because of the fires, and another roughly 30,000 residents have been ordered to stay at home. The government has declared a national-level state of emergency.

The greatest concern is focused on two major fires west of Madrid, which in some places may have merged into a single blaze. Another fire in Castellón province has also led to mass evacuations.

The largest wildfire in Spain’s history is in Ávila province west of Madrid — it has destroyed more than 500 square kilometers of land.

According to Spain’s environment minister, Sara Aagesen, fires have destroyed about 1,530 square kilometers of the country’s territory since the beginning of the year.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a national agreement on combating wildfires, noting that climate change is increasing the scale and destructiveness of such events.