Man killed in Spain wildfire as European heatwave intensifies
MADRID (AFP)A man died after suffering burns, and thousands fled their homes in Spain on Tuesday as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched southern Europe.Heat alerts were issued in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40 °C. One child died of heatstroke in Italy on Monday.A man who suffered serious burns died in hospital as winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour whipped flames through Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of the Spanish capital of Madrid, officials said.He was the first fatality from dozens of wildfires that have hit Spain since a heatwave began last week.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that rescue services "are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires" and warned: "We are at extreme risk of forest fires. Please be very cautious."Hundreds of residents of Tres Cantos left their homes due to the risk from the blaze, which was contained on Tuesday morning."In barely 40 minutes, the fire advanced six kilometres," Carlos Novillo, Madrid's regional environment chief, told reporters.Elsewhere, about 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near the popular beaches of Tarifa in the southern region of Andalusia.
Saved at 'Last Second' The wildfire broke out near where a similar blaze forced evacuations earlier this month."We managed to save the residential area at the very last second," said Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region's interior minister.A Civil Guard police officer was injured after being struck by a car while helping with the evacuation, he added.In the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, more than 30 blazes were reported, including one threatening Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient Roman gold mines.Meteorologists predicted that Tuesday would be the hottest day yet of the heatwave, with all regions under weather alerts. Forecasters said temperatures would hit around 40 °C and overnight lows would remain above 25 °C.In neighbouring Portugal, firefighters battled three large wildfires, with the most serious near Trancoso in the centre of the country.More than 700 firefighters and four aircraft were deployed.Authorities warned that temperatures in southern Portugal could reach 44 °C.
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