A fire burned several thousand hectares on Sunday in the Aragon region of northern Spain, forcing the evacuation of at least 1,500 people, local authorities announced.
The fire, which started on Saturday in the municipality of Añón de Moncayo, was active on Sunday in a perimeter of 50 kilometers, “estimated between 8,000 and 10,000” hectares, within which the burned area, estimated “in thousands”, it was not yet determined, Aragon’s emergency services told AFP.
The “rapid spread” of the flames, fed by the wind, was described as “critical” by the president of the region, Javier Lambán, in statements to the press.
More than 260,000 hectares burned since the beginning of 2021 in Spain
At least 1,500 people have been evacuated in this rural area that includes a natural park, in the province of Zaragoza, the regional government has announced. Some 300 firefighters are battling the flames, supported by helicopters.
Since the beginning of the year, 388 fires have destroyed nearly 261,930 hectares in Spain according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). This is the heaviest record in the countries of the European Union this year, and the most important in Spain since 2000, the year of the first measurements.
These fires have been favored by the abnormally high temperatures this summer in Spain, which has already experienced three heat waves in just two months.
The worsening of these heat waves is, according to experts, a direct consequence of global warming, which increases its intensity, duration and frequency.
Source: BFM TV
