European wildfire threat recedes as temperatures drop

MADRID (AP) — Europe’s recent spate of wildfires is abating amid cooler temperatures. No outbreaks were reported Thursday in Portugal. And French firefighters started to get the upper hand over two major blazes while Spain tamed a fire that killed two people last weekend. Spanish firefighters were tackling nine blazes with two of them said to be especially dangerous. Some of the 11,000 people evacuated because of the fires in Spain began returning home and a major highway reopened. Temperatures above 40 C (104 F) and a drought have worsened Spain’s wildfires this year. Thursday’s highest temperature in Spain was forecast to be 32 C (90 F).