HUNDREDS of people have been evacuated from their homes as a fast-moving wildfire ripped through more than 45 square kilometres of countryside in northern Spain.
Officials warned of a ‘critical’ situation as strong winds fanned the flames across Aragon’s Zaragoza province, forcing residents to leave the towns of Ores, Asin, Luesia and Malpica de Arba.
Around 400 firefighters are battling the blaze as concerns grow over damage to local homes, with at least 10 properties in Asin reportedly damaged by the advancing flames.
Aragon’s interior minister Roberto Bermudez de Castro said: “A lot of progress has been made tonight, but there is still a huge amount of work to do.
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“The fire has also spread considerably,” he added. “It will take days to bring it under control.”
Firefighters from the regional Infoar service and Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) described moments of terror after being surrounded by flames near Ores while tackling the blaze overnight.
“They had to leave quickly because the flames were reaching them,” Bermudez said.
“Some of their vehicles even suffered significant damage from heat exposure.”
The minister added that up to 80 people had spent the night in a sports hall in Ejea de los Caballeros, northwest of Zaragoza.
Three care homes were also evacuated across the affected towns: one in Ores, with 13 residents; one in Asin, with 15; and one in Luesia, with another 30.
Two roads in the area have also been temporarily closed, Bermudez added.
In a post on X, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said the government had deployed ‘all the necessary resources to face the emergency.’
“My full solidarity goes out to all the residents affected by the fire in Ores, Zaragoza,” he wrote.
“We are closely monitoring the evolution of the blaze and have deployed all the necessary resources to deal with the emergency.
“Thank you to everyone working tirelessly to protect lives and fight the flames.
“Please exercise extreme caution and continue to follow the instructions of the authorities.”
The fire comes only weeks after Aragon suffered its worst June on record for wildfires, with around 65 square kilometres of farmland and woodland destroyed by flames.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET had previously issued red alerts for extreme temperatures and high wildfire risk across parts of northern and eastern Spain this week.
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