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Date Published: 16/06/2022
ARCHIVED - 16 wildfires blaze out of control across Spain
High temperatures and low humidity throughout Spain have sparked the forest fires
The ground temperature has reached an incredible 53ºC in some parts of Spain this week as the country basks in its first heatwave of the year, but the scorching heat and low levels of humidity also mean that more than 16 active and out of control wild fires have so far been reported.
The most serious of these blazes is in Catalonia, where no fewer than eight fires have been reported; one, in Artesa de Segre in Lleida has burned through 500 hectares of vegetation and continues to threaten another 20,000 hectares of land.
Ironically, the storms sweeping in to the north of the country have made the situation worse, with strong winds fanning the flames and spreading the fires further in Aragon.
In addition to Catalonia, Navarra is also being terrorised by wildfires and in recent days, 22 monks had to be evacuated from their monastery as the flames threatened to engulf it. So large are the fires that the regional government fears it doesn’t have the resources to cope, and an additional 150 troops have been sent in to battle the blazes.
Elsewhere, fires in Tafalla, Larraga and Olleta-Leoz remain active but have temporarily been brought under control, while in Zamora, a wildfire has been burning since Wednesday in San Roman del Valle.
Firefighting crews are fighting yet more blazes in La Pedrizona, Vega del Casrillo, Riofrio de Aliste, the Sierra de la Culebra. Galicia hasn’t escaped the fray either, and has reported fires in the A Baixa Limia-Serra do Xures Natural Park, while two other smaller ones have been brought under control.
Last weekend, the majority of the Region of Murcia was put on high alert for wildfires because of the scorching temperatures and at the beginning of the week, Alicante was also issued with an extreme risk warning.
Image: Pixaby
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