Sawt Falasteen - Firefighters on offensive in France, Spain as new heatwave arrives

Flames have torn through vast swathes of forest in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

And with a fresh heatwave expected to hit western Europe this week -- with oven-like temperatures returning in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday according to meteorologists -- firefighters are racing against time to bring the infernos under control.

French firefighters were "on the offensive" insisted commander Eric Pitault, as he stood in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula, though he admitted his teams were tired.

Over the past six days, the wildfire near Bordeaux has affected 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres), forced 220,000 people to flee and destroyed 240 houses.

The prefect's office said that while there had been flare-ups overnight in the north of the peninsula, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.

Outside Spain's Aldea del Fresno, on the edge of the vast fires burning west of Madrid, evacuated locals queued up in their cars in the hope of returning to properties and pets.

They were among 60,000 people forced to flee by fires that have consumed 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres), an area almost the size of New York City.

For now, though, the Guardia Civil gendarmerie was blocking their return, blaming the risk of smoke inhalation.

Galia Borisova, a 55-year-old domestic helper wanted to reach her animals in nearby Picadas but was having to wait. "They say there's so much smoke that you can't breathe, even with a mask. And I believe it, because you could see it from here."

- 'Extreme conditions' -

Europe has been gripped by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change.

Extreme heat has parched the ground and dried out vegetation that had grown vigorously during wet and mild weather earlier in the year, creating tinderbox conditions.

The leaders of both France and Spain warned of the new reality that climate change has created.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called the fires "the most painful expression of a climate emergency", while French President Emmanuel Macron said: "The coming weeks will be tough and we have to hold out."

While the focus is currently on Western Europe, the EU's crisis management chief warned that conditions elsewhere on the continent could spark new fires, stretching already strained resources.

"Extreme conditions are looming for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in addition to France, the Iberian Peninsula... where the situation is expected to worsen, including in Portugal starting today," commissioner Hadja Lahbib said.

Spain's meteorological agency AEMET announced a new heatwave starting on Wednesday and lasting until at least the end of the week, with temperatures forecast to hit 42C in the northeast and 39C in the centre.

MeteoFrance also forecast more hot weather of up to 40C from Tuesday with dry wind.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Monday said the coming hours would be "absolutely decisive" to tame fires burning west of the capital, Madrid.

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D.Khalil--SF-PST