“We hope to strike a big blow today… There are a lot of resources on the ground and the work we’re doing is very intense,” said Civil Protection Coordinator Neves Villar, noting that there was little wind in the area. “It is a fire that could be better contained,” Villar welcomed from Benofranquiado, an area close to the burning forest, specifying that we are still “far from saying it is under control.”
The firefighters from Portugal joined their Spanish colleagues, the coordinator explained, noting that there were “more than 600 participants”. In total, the area of the disaster is between 8,000 and 8,500 hectares, however […] It will be necessary to wait a few days before the outline can be drawn more accurately,” specified the curator.
About 700 residents have been evacuated from their homes and no return home is planned for the time being. “The fire is currently confined to one area and work is underway to prevent it from escaping from there,” David Barona, commander of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), told state television.
500 fires in 2022
While summer, the wildfire season, has not yet arrived, Spain has already suffered many, after it was the most affected country in Europe in 2022, with nearly 500 fires that devoured more than 300,000 hectares, according to European forest fire information. System (EFFIS).
A European country on the front line of climate change, Spain has been experiencing an increase in heat waves for several years, with rainfall becoming increasingly rare and erratic. The first quarter of this year was the “driest” since records began in 1961, according to the National Weather Service.
