Southern Spain wildfire worsens as wind gusts hamper firefighting efforts

MADRID, Aug 10 - A large wildfire in southwestern Spain was burning beyond firefighters' ability to extinguish it on Monday, regional authorities said, as hot and windy weather fuelled other blazes raging across the country.

With consecutive heatwaves scorching much of Europe, the Mediterranean nation is facing a devastating summer wildfire season, with over 244,000 hectares (603,000 acres) of countryside burnt in 400 fires so far this year, according to estimates by the European Forest Fire Information System.

That is an area six times larger than at the same time last year, while across Europe, record heat and droughts this summer – which scientists say are exacerbated by global warming – have wreaked havoc on power production, shipping and public health systems.

FLYING EMBERS SPREAD FIRES IN ALL DIRECTIONS

Andalusia's regional head of emergencies, Antonio Sanz, told reporters that extinguishing the fire in the southwest of the country around the medieval town of Niebla was akin to a "long-distance obstacle race" and was expected to last several days.

It has already affected a surface of nearly 20,000 hectares.

He added that the combination of wind gusts, the area's rugged terrain, and convective phenomena creating fire clouds was spreading flying embers in all directions, causing secondary fires to break out.

Nearly 500 people have been evacuated from the area while further precautionary measures were being assessed, Sanz said.

Other wildfires remained active in the central province of Segovia and Castellon in the east.

In Segovia, a fire that started on Saturday when a vehicle ignited on a motorway forced 176 inhabitants of two towns to leave their homes as it rapidly spread across surrounding pastures.

Local authorities said on Monday the situation was improving after humidity increased overnight, but the large number of trees dotting the granite-strewn landscape could complicate firefighting efforts.

Another fire in Castellon's Tirig that has so far burnt around 800 hectares and prompted the evacuation of 900 people was still active but close to being stabilised after "very favourable" weather overnight, according to the regional government of Valencia. REUTERS