Volunteer firefighter dies from burns as wildfires continue raging across Spain

The National

6 days ago

A volunteer fireman has died from severe burns in a Spanish hospital, while several people were given medical treatment as dozens of wildfires fuelled by strong winds and high heat continued to rage across the country on Wednesday.
At least six large wildfires were still out of control, regional emergency services said.
The volunteer, who was 35, had been trying to create breaks in wildfires near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped by the blaze, officials said.
The fire was running out of control at two points in the region, as weather services forecast another day of strong winds and lightning storms.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that emergency teams continued to battle fires across Spain. 'The wildfire situation remains serious,' he said.
More than 5,000 people have been evacuated in the region, which is Spain's largest, and efforts were being focused on stopping the fires from reaching towns.
Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told SER radio that given the virulence of the fires across the country arson could not be ruled out in some areas.
On Monday, fire killed a stable hand outside Madrid then spread to other buildings and farms before it was contained.
Northwestern Galicia's regional leader Alfonso Rueda said the situation there was 'complicated' and that the weather 'isn't helping', as six fires burnt in a combined 10,000 hectares of Ourense province.
Weather agency AEMET forecast 'extreme' risk of wildfires across Spain on Wednesday.
Fires have been raging through southern Europe amid a heatwave. Red heat warnings have been issued for France, Croatia, Serbia and Cyprus, as a high-pressure system is strengthened by wind patterns driven by tropical storm Dexter.
In Montenegro, a soldier died and another was seriously injured when their water tanker overturned as they supplied firefighters in the hills north of the capital, Podgorica.
A child died of heatstroke in Italy on Monday.
In Greece, coastguards evacuated tourists and residents from two beaches on the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea, as strong winds made containing fires difficult. Thousands fled the town of Kato Achaea in north-west Peloponnese and Agios Konstantinos, about 48 kilometres west of Athens.