The first major forest fire of the year in Spain has stopped for the moment. The flames on the border between the regions of Valencia and Aragon in the east of the country have stopped spreading since Saturday, state television broadcaster RTVE reported today, citing the authorities.
The fire, which has been raging since Thursday, is not yet under control, it was emphasized. So far it has destroyed around 4,000 hectares. According to the latest information, a total of 1,750 people have been evacuated from their homes in more than ten towns in the provinces of Castellon and Teruel as a precaution.
Fire fighting also during the night
According to official information, the extinguishing work continued at night. Around 700 emergency services were deployed, supported by more than 20 helicopters and fire-fighting aircraft, among other things.
An increase in humidity has recently had a positive effect, emphasized a spokesman for the regional government of Valencia. According to RTVE, the fire led, among other things, to some power outages, and several country roads were still closed on Sunday, it said.
“Fifth consecutive drought year”
The cause of the fire is not yet known. The authorities suspect “an incorrectly carried out agricultural combustion”. The Spanish Minister for Ecological Change, Teresa Ribera, also pointed to man-made climate change.
“We are experiencing the fifth year of drought in a row on the Iberian Peninsula,” Ribera was quoted as saying by state television broadcaster RTVE. Unfortunately, there are more and more large fires outside of the fire season. 2022 was the most devastating year of forest fires in Spain since the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) began to record data.
