Barcelona province threatened: several forest fires are raging in Spain


Status: 07/25/2021 3:56 p.m.

Several forest fires have spiraled out of control in Spain. The worst fire is raging west of the province of Barcelona, ​​more than 80 people had to leave their homes. There is also a fire in the south.

In northeastern Spain, a forest fire got out of control around 100 kilometers west of Barcelona. The flames have so far destroyed 1,100 hectares of forest and farmland, said the forestry authority of Catalonia on Twitter. There is a risk that wind at high temperatures of around 30 degrees and great drought will further heat the fire and it could spread in the direction of the province of Barcelona. Up to 5000 hectares are directly threatened.

Biggest forest fire of the year so far

It was the biggest forest fire of the year in the wooded region of Catalonia, wrote the newspaper “El Periódico”. Ash has already reached parts of Barcelona.

In addition to the local fire brigades and forest fire fighting units, soldiers from the Spanish military had also been on duty against the flames since Sunday morning.

Farmers in the region were called upon to plow their fields immediately to create barriers against the flames. About 80 people in the region have had to leave their country houses since the fire broke out on Saturday afternoon for an unknown cause in the municipality of Santa Coloma de Queralt.

Fire also near Huelva in the south

A fire is also out of control in southern Spain: around 600 hectares of forest are on fire near Huelva – in a nature reserve. Among other things, eucalyptus trees caught fire there. They burn easily because their leaves are oily.

The emergency services have got the biggest forest fire in Spain under control: It rages in the province of Albacete – about halfway between Madrid and the Mediterranean coast near Valencia. 2500 hectares of forest burned down there, an area about the size of the North Sea island of Norderney.

Rain could help

The firefighters are helped that the heat in the area has subsided, as has the wind. Meteorologists even predict rain. Just last weekend, a forest fire further north on the Costa Brava destroyed 415 hectares of forest in the nature reserve of Cap de Creus.

With information from Oliver Neuroth, ARD Studio Madrid

Spain: Fire brigade fighting several large forest fires

Oliver Neuroth, ARD Madrid, July 25, 2021 3:18 p.m.



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