Spain on heat alert as wildfires burn

Spain witnessed three devastating wildfires over the weekend that ravaged over 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of land. Fortunately, as of Monday, the fires are now under control. However, the country remains on high alert due to the recurrence of its third heat wave this summer.

The regions of Andalusia in the south, Castilla-La Mancha in the central area, and Extremadura in the west are currently on an orange alert due to soaring temperatures predicted to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) on Monday, as reported by the national weather agency Aemet.

This scorching heat wave, the third one this summer, is expected to persist until Thursday, subjecting the Iberian peninsula to extreme weather conditions.

A fire that originated approximately 10 kilometers (six miles) from the popular coastal city of Cadiz, situated on the Atlantic Ocean, has been brought under control since midnight on Sunday, according to the firefighting service Infoca’s update on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Meanwhile, another fire near the southwestern city of Huelva, which burned an area of about 450 hectares (1,100 acres) between Saturday and Sunday, is now also under control.

In the region of Catalonia, along the Mediterranean coast near the French border, firefighters have been battling a blaze since Friday. The strong gusts of wind have posed challenges in extinguishing the fire.

The Catalan fire officials announced on X that the blaze is now under control, although approximately 30 firefighting units remain on the scene, where nearly 600 hectares of forested land were engulfed in flames.

Due to their dry conditions, Catalonia and Andalusia are the most vulnerable regions to drought, creating favorable conditions for wildfires to ignite.

Spain has already witnessed the burning of more than 70,000 hectares of land since the start of this year. It follows a record-breaking year in 2022 when over 300,000 hectares were destroyed, as reported by the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis).

Climate change experts attribute the increased frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves to the devastating effects of climate change.

© 2023 AFP

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