A little lull on the fire front.
Struck by major fires due to scorching temperatures, part of southern Europe can finally breathe.
In Catalonia, the fire was extinguished this Friday morning near Tarragona after hard work carried out by a hundred firefighters all night.
The fire had destroyed 75 hectares in a protected forest area on the coast.
Read alsoFires in Greece: should France fear such a disaster?
On the Greek side, the sigh of relief is even stronger given the incredible intensity of the fires that raged in the country for ten days.
"Since yesterday (Thursday), there is no longer a major active front, just scattered pockets", assured AFP a spokesperson for Greek firefighters, thanks to the precipitation that fell in several regions and the falling temperatures.
In total, more than 100,000 hectares have gone up in flames in Greece since the end of July, giving rise to scenes of the apocalypse.
Hundreds of homes and small businesses went up in smoke in Evia, 200 km northeast of Athens, part of the Peloponnese and the outer periphery of the capital.
An envelope of 500 million euros will be released for aid to victims and reconstruction, said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Vigilance remains essential
Although this is a real return to calm in these two areas, the risk is far from being buried.
An anticyclone called Lucifer is currently crossing Italy, causing thermometers to explode, with a record temperature of 48.8 degrees recorded Wednesday in Syracuse in Sicily.
Fires also hit Italian territory killing four people.
In Spain, the risk of fire outbreaks remains high throughout the country.
The alert level is even "extreme" in places.
In Portugal, the government has placed 14 of the 18 regions on fire alarm from Friday noon until Monday midnight.
Read alsoFires in Algeria: 5 minutes to understand the murderous toll in Kabylia
On the other side of the Mediterranean, fires are still raging in the Maghreb where 71 people have been killed in Algeria while the oppressive heat which strikes Tunisia does not favor the decrease in intensity of the flames.
