FIREFIGHTERS from the US Navy helped to extinguish the flames of a deadly fire in Andalucia on Thursday evening – the same day President Trump threatened to pull all American troops from Spain amid an ongoing row over the Iran war.
One person died after a blaze broke out in a house in Rota, Cadiz, according to the 112 emergency hotline.
Emergency services were called to the building at around 8.35pm after receiving reports that a resident remained trapped inside a third-floor flat.
As part of efforts to contain the inferno, local firefighters called on the help of American military firefighters based at the nearby Rota camp.
The naval base is one of two jointly operated by American and Spanish forces under the terms of a treaty signed between the White House and General Franco in 1953.
As part of the agreement, US firefighters based in Rota collaborate in firefighting efforts across the city.
They have access to ten firetrucks, ambulances and command vehicles.
The intervention came on the same day as Donald Trump doubled down on his threat to pull all US troops out of Spain as a row over the war in Iran continues to sour diplomatic relations.
The US president said on Thursday that he would ‘probably’ withdraw American soldiers from the two jointly-operated bases in Andalucia, linking the move to the Spanish government’s outspoken criticism of Trump’s military campaign in the Middle East.
READ MORE: Spain’s Pedro Sanchez welcomes Iran war ceasefire but fires broadside at Donald Trump
When asked by a reporter whether he would consider pulling troops out of bases located in Europe, Trump replied: “Yeah, probably…well, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us, and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has been a vocal critic of the war and has faced a barrage of insults and threats from the White House.
In early March, the US leader lashed out at Spain over NATO spending and threatened to impose a trade embargo over Madrid’s refusal to allow Washington to use Spanish bases for operations in the Middle East.
Spain decided to exercise a veto over the use of Rota and Moron bases in Cadiz and Sevilla respectively amid fears that US-Israeli strikes on Iran constituted a breach of international law.
Last month, an eye-opening poll revealed that Spaniards saw Trump as the biggest threat to global peace – placing him ahead of Vladimir Putin.
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