Pilgrimage route cut as Spanish wildfires spread to Picos de Europa mountains
By Guillermo Martinez and Nacho Doce
PALACIOS DE JAMUZ, Spain (Reuters) -Raging wildfires in Spain spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountain range on Monday and authorities closed part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
About 20 wildfires, fuelled by a severe 16-day heatwave, have devastated more than 115,000 hectares (285,000 acres) in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon over the past week.
"This is a fire situation we haven't experienced in 20 years," Defence Minister Margarita Robles told radio station Cadena SER. "The fires have special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heatwave."
She said thick smoke was affecting the work of water-carrying helicopters and aircraft.
The Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters.
Highways and rail services have been cut in the area, as well as the "Camino de Santiago" hiking route, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer.
It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the Western tip of Spain, where the remains of the apostle St James are said to be buried. Authorities in the Castile and Leon region have closed the path in the area between the towns of Astorga and Ponferrada, which are about 50 km (30 miles) apart, and told hikers "not to put (their) lives in danger".
A firefighter died when his truck crashed on a forest path near the village of Espinoso de Compludo. Four firefighters have died so far.
The Interior ministry says 27 people have been arrested and 92 are under investigation for suspected arson since June.
Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries.
In Portugal, wildfires have burnt 155,000 hectares so far this year, according to the ICNF forestry protection institute - three times the average for this period between 2006 to 2024. About half of that area burned in the past three days.
Robles said things are not likely to improve until the heatwave that has seen temperatures hit 45 Celsius degrees (113 Fahrenheit) starts easing on Monday evening or Tuesday.
The heatwave is the third hottest since 1975, when the national weather agency started tracking them. Most of the country is subject to wildfire warnings.
(Writing by Inti Landauro; editing by Giles Elgood)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Camino de Santiago pilgrims voice shock as devastating Spanish wildfires force route closure
Spain's worst wave of wildfires in at least two decades spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountain range on Monday and prompted authorities to close part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. 'This is a fire situation we haven't experienced in 20 years,' Defence Minister Margarita Robles told Cadena SER radio. 'The fires have special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heat wave,' spanning 16 days, she added, referring to one of the longest heatwaves in the past 50 years that sent temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) over the weekend. It is expected to start easing on Monday evening or Tuesday. Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain and neighbouring Portugal among the hardest-hit countries. So far this year, an estimated 344,400 hectares (851,031 acres) have been burned in Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) - the largest area on its records that go back to 2006 and more than four times the 2006-2024 average. Ms Robles said thick smoke was hampering the work of waterbombing aircraft. The Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters. In the past week alone, about 20 wildfires have devastated thousands of hectares in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon, forcing authorities to cut rail services in the area, as well as a 50-km (31-mile) stretch of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer. It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the western tip of Spain, where the remains of the apostle St James are said to be buried. Patrice Lepettre, a 75-year-old pilgrim in Astorga, told Reuters the inconvenience for hikers was temporary and could not be compared to the locals' plight. 'It's a terrible thing for the population. The pilgrims can go back home and come another year to finish the Camino, but for the people who live here, it's a terrible thing,' he said. A firefighter died when his truck crashed near the village of Espinoso de Compludo, raising the death toll to four. Leaders of regions run by the main opposition People's Party (PP) have criticised the central government for poor planning and asked for more resources to fight the wildfires. Ms Robles said all the means available had been deployed. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday urged a 'State Pact' on climate change with all main political forces, which was dismissed as a 'diversion' by PP spokesperson Ester Munoz on Monday. The Interior ministry said 27 people have been arrested and 92 were under investigation for suspected arson since June. In Portugal, wildfires have burnt about 216,200 hectares so far this year, according to EFFIS - more than four times the 2006-2024 average for this period - and two people have died.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thailand to launch crypto-to-baht conversion for foreign tourists
BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand will launch an 18-month pilot programme to allow foreign visitors to convert cryptocurrencies into baht to make payments locally, officials said on Monday, part of efforts to rejuvenate the country's critical tourist sector. Conversions will be capped at 550,000 baht ($16,949.15) to test the system and prevent money laundering, Finance Ministry permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit told reporters, adding that the limit could be reassessed after the pilot period is over. The initiative comes amid a decline in foreign tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Tourists will be able to make the conversions through Thai-based crypto exchange platforms, with the money then moving into online wallet applications so payments can be made to local businesses, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told reporters. "This project will support tourism," Pichai said, adding that it could also help increase tourist spending in the early stages. Thailand's state-planning agency on Monday lowered its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals in the whole of 2025 by 10% to 33 million. The projected number of foreign tourists is significantly lower than the pre-pandemic peak in 2019, when Thailand registered a record 39.9 million arrivals, generating 1.91 trillion baht ($58.86 billion) in revenue. ($1 = 32.4500 baht) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
65 of our favorite places to eat in the San Fernando Valley
Los Angeles has many valleys, but only one is the Valley. You know it as soon as you crest over the 101, 405, 170 or 5 freeways, its bordering hills verdant or golden depending on the time of year. Pull off almost any exit and you'll immediately be greeted by shopping centers, strip malls, mom-and-pop markets and fine-dining dens serving up some of the city's most ambitious and heartfelt meals. Bounded by mountains on all sides, the San Fernando Valley spans 260 square miles and is home to nearly half of L.A.'s population, around 1.8 million people. Across its expanse, it assumes many identities. Long before its peaks and basins were crisscrossed with highways and miles-long boulevards, the Tongva people lived along the water-rich and wooded areas of the Valley for more than 7,000 years. In the late 18th century, Spanish settlers by way of Mexico traversed over the Santa Monica Mountains into what is now known as Encino. More than a century ago, the citrus orchards began to give way as Warner Bros., Walt Disney and Universal studios built out their filming lots. A tinge of Tinseltown and tourism followed, while room to grow brought a midcentury housing boom to the region. Themed restaurants and tiki haunts popped up to keep diners entertained. Now, it's difficult to find a Valley establishment that hasn't made a TV or film appearance. As Valley dwellers began settling in — immigrants, suburban families, celebrities — its food scene flourished in step. On Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, you'll find Casa Vega, its dim interior practically untouched since Rafael 'Ray' Vega first founded it in 1956. The son of Tijuana-born immigrants who ran popular Cafe Caliente on Olvera Street beginning in the 1930s, Vega introduced many Valley diners — including a flock of silver screen regulars — to Mexican-American staples such as fajitas and enchiladas. Farther south in Studio City, take your pick from a parade of Japanese restaurants along Sushi Row. The stretch of Ventura Boulevard became a hub for high-end Japanese cuisine after pioneering chef Kazunori Nozawa opened his Edo-style sushi restaurant Nozawa in 1987. Though that location has since closed, Nozawa has spawned a global restaurant empire with his KazuNori, Nozawa Bar and Sugarfish chains. Pull off the main drag and you'll find hidden gem burger shacks, taquerias, hot dog joints, kebab shops and neighborhood delis. Meanwhile, Valley residents are spearheading new concepts. 'We're born and bred Valley kids, so we had to do it in the Valley,' said Marissa Shammas on opening Yala Coffee, a Middle Eastern-inspired cafe, with her husband Zain Shammas in Studio City. '[People] commonly think [the Valley] is where things go to die — and we think that that's where things go to be more.' There's more to discover than ever when it comes to dining in the 818 (or 747). Eight Times food writers spent months exploring the Valley in search of the best for this guide, reconnecting with old favorites and finding new surprises. For me, it was also an exercise in nostalgia. Old shortcuts returned like muscle memory as I reacquainted myself with the Woodland Hills blocks where I navigated young adulthood. In North Hollywood, my home for several years into my early 30s, former standbys suddenly returned to the forefront of my mind: The tiki bar across the street from my old apartment, a hole-in-the-wall Puerto Rican restaurant where salsa music draws you in, a vibrant Jamaican bistro that now sits in Sherman Oaks. I found myself wishing I could linger in the Valley longer. Here are our favorites, spanning Filipino-Mexican fusion in a Northridge car wash-turned-restaurant, a DMV-adjacent street-stand for lamb barbacoa in Arleta and a fast-growing mini chain of Sephardic pastries. It's time to dig into the Valley. — Danielle Dorsey
