Wildfires threaten Turkiye's fourth-largest city as locals are evacuated
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Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Wildfire forces evacuations in Spanish tourist town
Firefighters battled a wildfire Wednesday near the southern Spanish tourist town of Tarifa, where more than 1,500 people had to be evacuated as shifting winds hampered efforts to control the blaze. Although fire crews managed to secure areas near hotels and tourist accommodation, the fire remained active and uncontained, said officials. 'What concerns us most right now is the wind -- whether it shifts between the west and east,' said Antonio Sanz, interior minister for Andalusia's regional government. The wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon near La Pena, a wooded area close to a beach just outside Tarifa. The town of about 19,000 residents on Spain's southernmost coast, is known for its strong winds, which draw kite- and windsurfers. Spanish public broadcaster TVE reported that the fire had started in a camper van at a local campsite, with strong winds spreading the blaze quickly. The fire forced the evacuation of 1,550 people from campsites, hotels, and homes, as well as about 5,000 vehicles, mostly belonging to beachgoers, said Sanz. Emergency crews worked overnight to prevent the fire from reaching coastal resorts, but residents and tourists evacuated have not yet been allowed to return, he added. Spain is currently experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius in many regions. Civil protection authorities have warned that wildfire risk remains 'very high' or 'extreme' across much of the country.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Wildfire forces evacuations in Spanish tourist town
MADRID: Firefighters battled a wildfire Wednesday near the southern Spanish tourist town of Tarifa, where more than 1,500 people had to be evacuated as shifting winds hampered efforts to control the blaze. Although fire crews managed to secure areas near hotels and tourist accommodation, the fire remained active and uncontained, said officials. 'What concerns us most right now is the wind — whether it shifts between the west and east,' said Antonio Sanz, interior minister for Andalusia's regional government. The wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon near La Pena, a wooded area close to a beach just outside Tarifa. The town of about 19,000 residents on Spain's southernmost coast, is known for its strong winds, which draw kite- and windsurfers. Spanish public broadcaster TVE reported that the fire had started in a camper van at a local campsite, with strong winds spreading the blaze quickly. The fire forced the evacuation of 1,550 people from campsites, hotels, and homes, as well as about 5,000 vehicles, mostly belonging to beachgoers, said Sanz. Emergency crews worked overnight to prevent the fire from reaching coastal resorts, but residents and tourists evacuated have not yet been allowed to return, he added. Spain is currently experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius in many regions. Civil protection authorities have warned that wildfire risk remains 'very high' or 'extreme' across much of the country.
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
A wildfire in southern France has killed 1 and injured several and is still spreading
PARIS: A fast-moving wildfire in a Mediterranean region of France near the Spanish border has left one person dead, several others injured and was still spreading Wednesday after damaging a swath of land as big as Paris overnight, authorities said. About 1,500 firefighters worked overnight to contain the blaze, which broke out Tuesday afternoon in the village of Ribaute in the Aude region. It remained ''very active' on Wednesday and weather conditions were unfavorable, the local administration said in a statement. One person died in their home and nine others were injured, and at least one person was missing, the statement said. It said the fire had spread for 12 hours over 11,000 hectares of land, which is roughly equivalent to the size of the French capital. That makes it the biggest wildfire in France so far this summer. Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed of the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
