Spain wildfire crews gain edge

Madrid: Crews battling to subdue a wildfire that has ravaged vast swathes of land in eastern Spain gained more ground on Sunday, allowing officials to lift all remaining evacuation orders.

The blaze, which started on Monday near Bejis in the eastern Valencia region, has destroyed over 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of land and spurred the evacuation of around 2,200 people.

"It is in the process of being stabilised. We hope that this afternoon or tomorrow it will be stabilised," Valencia regional president Ximo Puig told reporters. "Now is the time to return to normality, with caution. Everyone from any municipality or district can now return home," he added.

Firefighters said reduced winds, cooler overnight temperatures and higher humidity levels had allowed them to start to contain the blaze. But they cautioned that temperatures were still high, with the mercury expected to rise to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), which when combined with hot, dry winds could still rekindle the wildfire.