A forest fire that has already destroyed 12,000 hectares of nature has settled since Thursday in Extremadura, in western Spain. This was reported by the regional authorities. Part of the 700 residents who were evacuated can return home.
The district government said the district’s forest fire prevention and control service “declared the fire settled in Las Hurdes”. “The forest fire situation in Pinofranqueado is better than it was yesterday, and weather conditions may also help in the coming hours,” said District Chief Guillermo Fernandez Vara.
According to data obtained from the European Copernicus satellite, the fire burned over an area of approximately 12,000 hectares. This is much more than the regional authorities’ estimate of 8,500 hectares.
Civil Protection Coordinator Nieves Villar expressed optimism at a press conference earlier in the day. For example, the winds were weak in the affected area and a lot of men and resources were deployed to fight the fire.
Forest fire season
Even before the wildfire season began, Spain was already suffering from several wildfires. In 2022, Spain was the worst affected country in Europe, with more than 500 forest fires destroying more than 300,000 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System EFFIS.
The country has been experiencing more and more heat waves for years, while it rains less and less. This first semester was the driest since records began in 1961, according to the National Weather Service.
At the end of April, temperatures rose to a record high of 38.8 degrees Celsius. These temperatures usually only occur in July and August.
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