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MADRID (AP) — A wildfire sparked by high winds in eastern Spain has burned about 4,900 acres (2,000 hectares) of land and forced the evacuation of another 850 people from four cities, authorities said Friday.
About 200 firefighters and infantrymen from the army’s emergency teams were deployed to try to put out the fire that raged during the day near the eastern part of the city of Montitxelvo. The Generalitat Valenciana said it expected five water-laden planes and helicopters to be deployed as a component of the operation.
The regional president, Carlos Mazón, called on the population to move in the domain and activities in the forests that could cause fires.
The official Efe news agency said winds reached around 120 km/h (75 mph) overnight. Mazón describes winds as the main source of fuel for fires in mountainous and forested terrain.
The fire comes as Spain, like much of Europe, continues to grapple with heavy rains and gales from Storm Ciaran. However, rain and low temperatures did not save the wildfire.
Spain has been suffering from a drought for two years, affected by climate change. Because the land is so arid, it can’t absorb much of the rainwater, which will go into the rivers before reaching the Mediterranean.
The Associated Press
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