Spain fires force 1,500 to flee
MAJOR forest fires in south Spain have forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from homes, campsites and hotels, a government official said yesterday.
Like much of Spain, the area near Huelva is on high alert for forest fires because of a heat wave. Last week, 64 people died in a forest fire in neighboring Portugal.
The blaze was spotted on Saturday night in the Moguer region near Huelva and was being treated as a level 1 — or maximum threat — by emergency services.
Jose Fiscal, environment minister for the Andalusia regional government, said the fire was likely to have been caused by arson, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.
Emergency services were working to contain the fire but adverse winds made it difficult to predict when the blaze would be brought completely under control.
“We expect changes in the wind that could affect the fire,” Antonio Sanz, government delegate in Andalusia, told reporters.
Emergency services deployed 11 planes, 10 helicopters and dozens of land vehicles against the flames in a joint military-civilian operation.
Around 750 people are being housed temporarily in sports centers, according to the emergency services.
Some residents had already been allowed to return to their properties.
The fire could threaten the Donana National Park, an important wildlife reserve home to numerous endangered species including the Iberian lynx and Spanish Imperial Eagle.
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