Residents evacuated from 11 municipalities in Spain's Toledo province have begun returning to their homes, according to RTVE.es. The return comes after authorities confirmed the wildfires that forced the evacuations have been contained. Many evacuees were seen crying as they returned to properties covered in ash.
The Spanish Interior Ministry authorized the end of both evacuations and confinement orders for communities affected by the fires in the Comunidad de Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo provinces, RTVE.es reports. The decision allowed tens of thousands of displaced people to go back to their homes.
Local media outlet ABC described the mood among residents of the Sierra de San Vicente area in Toledo as a mix of joy and emotion. The evacuees had been forced to leave their homes as the fires advanced, with El Confidencial listing the affected municipalities including Sartajada and Pelahustán.
While the immediate danger has passed, residents now face the task of assessing damage and beginning cleanup efforts in communities that experienced significant fire impact.
