Spanish firefighters on alert after huge wildfire tamed

Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME), a firefighter, tackles a forestfire near Artazu in Navarre, Spain, 19 June, 2022.

On Monday (20 June), emergency planes dropped water on a part of rural Spain to stop flames from rekindling from a massive wildfire that had ravaged approximately 30,000 hectares of land in a heatwave.

According to data from the Environment Ministry, the fire that broke out during the country's worst heatwave in mid-June in more than 40 years would have the most extensive surface area damage in the last 20 years if it was confirmed by estimates.

The service stated that "Even though there aren't flames anymore," they continue to work. "Weather conditions are improving, and ground and aerial teams are still at work."

Regional authorities reported that hundreds of people from small villages were forced to flee their homes last week because they were under threat of being destroyed by flames. They were allowed to return to their homes.

On Monday, temperatures in Spain were lower and footage from a helicopter captured rain over the Sierra de la Culebra. This mountain range is famous for its Iberian wolves population.

Last week temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), in parts of Spain. This was their highest temperature in this year's early 1981s, and record highs were also set in other parts of Western Europe.

Spain saw a number of wildfires, and firefighters were backed up by military personnel and planes. On Monday, smaller wildfires than those in the Sierra de la Culebra erupted in Catalonia and Navarra.

Share this article: