Spain’s largest wildfire rages, 16,000 hectares of land burned, more than 1,100 people evacuated
Spain’s biggest wildfire this year has burned around 16,000 hectares and is still burning, but authorities hope to have it under control by Sunday. More than 1,100 people have been evacuated as firefighters continue to work to extinguish the blaze, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported.Authorities said a fire that broke out in the Cinco Villas area on Wednesday remained “significantly active” and was spreading “significantly” into Friday. It forced the evacuation of five cities in Zaragoza and one in neighboring Navarra, covering an area of ​​approximately 60 kilometers. It is speculated that firefighting efforts are currently in the “final stages”, but officials remain cautious due to the dramatic change in wind direction. Several roads remain closed.About 400 ground personnel and 19 aircraft were deployed to extinguish the blaze Thursday, as firefighters focused overnight on protecting homes in Ancastillo. Power has been restored to all affected towns.“The problem with this extinction, and with all the extinctions that have happened over the past few days, is that the wind direction is very variable and constantly changing,” said Environment and Tourism Minister Luis Biendicho. “This forecast is exactly the same as our forecast yesterday afternoon and the same forecast tomorrow, which makes us even more cautious.”
Wildfires break out in many places in Spain
The Aragon fire is one of several wildfires that have struck Spain during a period of extreme hot and dry weather.A wildfire in the northern province of Guadalajara remains active after burning about 900 hectares, prompting evacuations and lockdown measures. The local government requested the deployment of Spain’s military emergency force, which sent about 100 personnel to assist in firefighting operations.A third wildfire near Loxoyola, north of Madrid, has not yet been fully controlled and has burned nearly 70 hectares of land. Authorities have arrested a man suspected of starting fires in the Madrid area.
what fueled the fire
High temperatures, strong winds, low humidity and abundant vegetation following a rainy spring contributed to the spread of fires. Experts also point to climate change and the abandonment of rural areas as factors that increase wildfire risk.Many scientists blame human-caused climate change for a succession of early summer heatwaves that have pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels across Europe, leading to water shortages, damaged crops, wildfires and thousands of deaths.
