French firefighters in the Gironde region have been battling forest fires for more than a week, which have forced the evacuation of 220,000 people.
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The fires have destroyed more than 200 homes and devastated an area of 42,000 hectares.
“This is the first somewhat optimistic day, as we feel we are beginning to return to normal life and that the situation is starting to improve significantly,” said Sophie Brocas, prefect of the southwestern Gironde department, which was the hardest hit by the fires.
However, according to her, it is still not possible to say when the fire will be fully controlled.
“There are still two active fire sites,” said S. Brocas.
“Teams will work all night and tomorrow morning to strengthen firebreaks and ensure the safety of the edges,” she added.
The regional fire chief Marc Vermeulen refused to say when the fires would be brought under control.
“It would be too risky for me to specify a concrete date,” he told reporters.
“It will depend on how the terrain reacts, how many more fire sites arise, as well as the weather conditions we will face in the coming days,” he added.
Earlier on Thursday, another 84,000 people forced to leave their homes due to the fires were allowed to return home.
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