The “largest and most complex” fire in a firefighter’s 20-year career is beginning to die down. But the south of Ávila is still smoldering, and sudden flames are flaring up where calm was expected — not least because nothing but bad omens are falling on a summer in which wave after wave of heat is forecast. Firefighters have battled an unpredictable blaze, with gales shifting its direction, sweeping across mountain ranges and dry forests, feeding on unmanaged vegetation, and overwhelming human firefighting capabilities. The situation has improved slightly: “It seems the monster has fallen asleep,” sums up another firefighter, exhausted after five days of chasing the beast as it comes and goes, rising and falling. But everyone remains on alert.
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