Spain deploys 275 firefighters to tackle Andalusia forest blaze

BARCELONA - More than 275 firefighters were on Aug 8 battling a challenging wildfire in Spain’s southern Andalusia region, though the authorities said no residential zone was currently under threat.

The blaze, happening north of the town of Niebla, halfway between Seville and the Portuguese border, was active in an area of around 4,000 hectares, an adviser to Andalusia’s emergency service, Antonio Sanz, said.

“This wildfire is driven by constantly changing winds, which up-ends attack strategies,” he told reporters.

He added that a “window of opportunity” had opened on Aug 8 for a few hours, before conditions again worsened later in the day.

Sixty troops belonging to a military unit for emergencies were among the 275 firefighters, who were being assisted by some 20 aircraft and heavy machinery, the regional fire service said.

Spain is enduring a tough summer for wildfires, with various blazes having forced the evacuation of thousands of people, especially in the centre of the country.

One forest inferno that raged in July in the Avila region near Madrid was considered the biggest Spain had seen in recent history.

Early in July, another sweeping blaze caused 14 deaths in Almeria province in Andalusia.

Europe has suffered successive heatwaves and drought this year, which scientists say have been aggravated by human-generated climate change. AFP