Brussels, July 31 (SANA)Nearly half a million hectares have been scorched by wildfires across the European Union as record-breaking heatwaves continue to fuel blazes across the continent, with officials warning this year’s burned area could approach last year’s record level.Around 435,000 hectares had burned by Wednesday, according to the latest data from the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation programme, despite the fire season—typically lasting through August—not yet reaching its halfway point.EU officials said current conditions closely resemble those seen in 2025, when more than one million hectares were destroyed in what was Europe’s worst wildfire season on record. They warned that the highest-risk period still lies ahead, with August traditionally marking the peak of the fire season.Emergency authorities said they had been forced to accelerate preparations after wildfires erupted earlier than usual this year. Firefighting agencies normally begin seasonal preparations in June, but the early onset of fires prompted a faster deployment of personnel and resources.Spain and France remain the hardest-hit countries.In Spain, wildfires that have been burning since July 20 have destroyed more than 80,000 hectares, bringing the total area burned this year to more than 150,000 hectares. Authorities have reported several deaths and carried out mass evacuations.France has recorded more than 116,000 hectares burned since the beginning of the year, the highest total in its history. Major fires have swept through the Gironde region aroundBordeaux, as well as southeastern France and areas near Paris, forcing large-scale evacuations.Evacuated residents begin returning in FranceFrench authorities on Friday began allowing thousands of residents evacuated from the southwest to return home after a massive wildfire was brought under control following more than a week of firefighting.According to Reuters, Gironde Prefect Sophie Brocas said evacuation orders had been lifted in 12 areas west and southwest of Bordeaux, allowing about 144,000 of the more than 220,000 displaced residents to return home.Brocas said the situation had stabilized and the fire was contained, with cooler temperatures and higher overnight humidity helping firefighters gain control.The A63 motorway linking Bordeaux with theSpanish borderhas reopened, although access to the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination, remains closed because the only access road passes through fire-damaged areas.The wildfire in the Landes region west of Bordeaux destroyed about 42,000 hectares of pine forest following prolonged drought conditions and damaged hundreds of homes.According to France’s Ministry of the Economy, more than 13,000 businesses have had their operations disrupted within evacuation zones, while about 130,000 employees have been unable to reach their workplaces.Europe steps up wildfire preparednessElsewhere, the European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre is preparing for possible new wildfires in Italy and Greece in the coming weeks. Another heatwave is forecast to sweep across much of Europe, while fires are expected to continue in France and Spain.For the first time, the Netherlands activated theEU Civil Protection Mechanismfollowing a forest fire in the eastern part of the country in April, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on wildfire risks.The Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Brussels continues to coordinate with EU member states on firefighting operations, information sharing and the deployment of aerial firefighting resources. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is activated when disasters overwhelm a country’s response capacity. In addition to the bloc’s member states, it includes 10 participating countries from the Western Balkans and several partner nations.EU data show a steady rise in requests to activate the mechanism in recent years, reflecting the increasing frequency of climate-related natural disasters across the continent.Europe is now facing one of the most severe wildfire seasons in its modern history, driven by successive heatwaves and prolonged drought, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and threatening countries including Spain, France, Greece, Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom.