Wildfire in northern Spain amid European heatwave
The fire in Spain comes during a heatwave that has gripped Western Europe for the past week -- with temperatures in the region pushing 40 degrees Celsius (AFP Photo/Gerard Julien)A wildfire in northern Spain\’s Aragon region has ravaged around 8,000 hectares (19,700 acres) of pine and brush and forced some 1,500 people to evacuate their homes, local authorities said Sunday.
About 500 rescue workers and firefighters have been deployed to fight the blaze, which broke out on Saturday, as well as 26 planes and helicopters.
The flames have not yet been brought under control.
The fire comes during a heatwave that has gripped Western Europe for the past week — with temperatures in the region pushing 40 degrees Celsius (around 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
"Experts say that the fire concerns a zone of about 13,000 hectares, and that it could have already burned 8,000 hectares," Antonio Suarez, a local government official told public television.
The government said the right flank of the fire was the most dangerous because it was close to a dense pine forest.
Around 1,500 people were evacuated Saturday, with most able to return to their homes the next day.
In Portugal, the National Civil Protection Authority said almost 100 firefighters were tackling a wildfire that broke out Saturday night in the forests of Alcobertas, north of Lisbon.
SOURCE: AFP and TOE
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