Spain evacuates 2,000 as crews race to counter wildfire
Source: AP
MADRID (AP) — A wildfire in southern Spain forced the evacuation of 2,000 people amid fears that torrid weather on Thursday may feed the blaze. Emergency agencies deployed almost 1,000 firefighters, military personnel and support crews to fight it.
Authorities raced against the clock in the dry, hilly area of Andalucia as Spain’s AEMET weather service said the country could be on the verge of a heat wave. Temperatures were forecast to reach well over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and get even hotter over the weekend.
The Andalucian Forest Fire Extinction Service, Infoca, said the fire had burned 2,150 hectares (5,000 acres) of mountain terrain so far. Authorities were hoping that a change in wind direction on Thursday will help crews fight the fire.
The blaze injured three firefighters after it broke out Wednesday amid gusting winds; one suffered severe burns. People were evacuated as a precaution late Wednesday from five different locations across the province of Malaga, with most sheltering with relatives or in local hotels, officials said.
Firefigters walk in the area of a wildfire in Pujerra, Malaga, on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Emergency services deployed almost 1,000 firefighters, military personnel and support crews Thursday to fight a wildfire that has forced the evacuation of some 2,000 people in southern Spain amid fears that torrid weather may feed the blaze. (Alex Zea, Europa Press via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-spain-evacuations-fires-54dfa429884f8bdfc2856615b91b347e
