At least 16 major forest fires raging in Spain
Madrid (dpa) Firefighters in Spain continued to battle major forest fires in at least 16 locations on Friday, as the country reels from one of its most devastating summers yet, according to the Interior Ministry.Dozens of smaller blazes are also raging in several regions, the ministry said.Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the state would provide all necessary means to fight the flames, in comments to state broadcaster RTVE.The danger of further forest fires remains high due to the ongoing heat and drought, he warned.Fires have destroyed 157,000 hectares of forest and bushland in Spain since the start of the year, according to official estimates, with 115,000 hectares burnt in August alone so far.At least 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the hard-hit regions of Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura, with the worst fires raging in the relatively sparsely populated north-west of the country. Meanwhile, firefighters continue to try to bring the largest forest fire ever recorded in Spain under control, which has already destroyed some 38,000 hectares in the Zamora region. Three firefighters have been killed this month while battling the flames. Many emergency forces are said to be exhausted after being deployed for up to 20 hours on end.The fires have sparked a dispute between the government and the opposition camp, with both sides accusing each other of having failed to ensure sufficient preparation and equipment for firefighters.Meanwhile, some affected citizens have been complaining about a lack of support, with videos circulating online showing residents trying to save their homes from the flames using garden hoses.In addition to climate change, experts cited by Spanish media attributed the intensity of the fires to the rural exodus of the past decades, which they said had fuelled the spread of vegetation which the flames were feeding on.Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has called for a larger military contingent to be deployed to help fight the fires, after a special military firefighting unit was sent in a few days ago.
Grande-Marlaska assured the affected regions that all necessary assistance would be provided, after he had previously requested help from the European Union, leading France to send two firefighting planes.
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