Latest news with #Nogarejas
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
Spain arrests alleged arsonist linked to wildfires as a second firefighter dies
MADRID, Aug 14 (Reuters) - A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon, while police arrested a man for allegedly starting a separate blaze as the country faced one of its worst fire seasons in 20 years. "Today we mourn the death of another member of the team fighting fires in Leon," Nicanor Sen, the national government's representative in Castile and Leon wrote on X. Local media identified the man as 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio, who suffered burns to 85% of his body after being trapped alongside another volunteer near the town of Nogarejas as they attempted to create firebreaks with brush cutters. He was the seventh fatality linked to wildfires this year. His colleague Abel Ramos, 35, died on Tuesday. On Monday, a separate fire killed a man on the outskirts of Madrid. Police said they arrested a man in northern Zamora province for starting a fire that burned 4,000 hectares (15.4 square miles), while another man was arrested for provoking six fires earlier in August in the southern province of Malaga. Ten people have been arrested since June 1, said police, who were investigating a further 38 for deliberately starting forest fires. Convicted arsonists in Spain could face up to five years in prison and hefty fines. Three firemen were in critical condition for burns they sustained fighting a fire near Ourense in the northwestern region of Galicia. Spain's wildfires are being fanned by one of the longest heatwaves since records began. They have razed about 148,000 hectares (571 square miles) in Spain this year, the second biggest area since 2006. That makes up more than a quarter of the 512,000 hectares burned in the EU so far this year, according to the European Commission's European Forest Fire Information System. In Galicia, about 170 children and those supervising them spent Tuesday confined to their summer camp grounds after a wildfire burned the cables of the camp's power system, the regional government said in a statement. The campers were rescued and moved to a water park on Wednesday. "We were really scared, but in the midst of the fire, with a few tears, we and the monitors were also dancing. The sky was orange, but everything worked out in the end," 12-year-old Carlota told news agency Europa Press. Spain received two Canadair water-bombing planes from France on Thursday after it asked for help from European partners to tackle the fires, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said in an interview on RTVE. Nearly two dozen blazes continued to rage, fuelled by wind and extreme heat. Around 9,500 people were evacuated from their towns and hundreds ordered to stay at home.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Wildfires in Madrid burn 26 horses to death as record-breaking heatwave sweeps across Europe
A blaze has reportedly killed 26 horses in their stables, alongside a 55-year-old man who died trying to save them, as wildfires continue to devastate southern Europe. The man suffered burns to 98 per cent of his body in the fire north of Madrid, and died in hospital after being flown there by helicopter, the Guardian reported. A Spanish volunteer firefighter also died from severe burns, and several others were hospitalised, as the state weather agency AEMET warned that almost the entire country faced an extreme or very high risk of fire. The 35-year-old deceased was attempting to create firebreaks near Nogarejas, in the central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the inferno, according to regional officials. He was the sixth person to die this year in wildfires in Spain. Others include two firefighters in Tarragona and Avila, according to emergency services. The blazes have consumed homes, farms, and factories, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists across southern Europe. They are fuelled by a relentless heatwave, strong winds, and a combination of suspected arson and thunderstorms. In Greece, a cement factory on the outskirts of Patras, west of Athens, was engulfed in flames and dark smoke, as a wildfire swept through olive groves and forests, disrupting local rail traffic. A volunteer, Giorgos Karvanis, who travelled from Athens to assist, said: "What does it look like? It looks like doomsday. May God help us and help the people here." Authorities had already ordered the evacuation of a town of about 7,700 people near Patras on Tuesday, issuing further alerts on Wednesday for residents of two nearby villages to leave. On the popular tourist islands of Chios in the east and Cephalonia in the west, officials also instructed people to move to safety as fires continued to spread. Suspected arson Spanish Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told the SER radio station that many fires across the country were thought to be the work of arsonists due to their 'virulence'. A male firefighter was arrested on Tuesday for fires started in the Avila area north of Madrid two weeks ago, while police said on Tuesday they were investigating a 63-year-old woman for allegedly starting fires in Galicia's Muxia area in August. Police have also identified a suspect who is believed to have suffered burns to his hands after starting a small fire in a beachfront development in the southern coastal Cadiz area, Europa Press reported. Thunderstorms have caused other fires. On Tuesday, shortly after 5 pm, Andalusia's fire department was flooded with calls by residents reporting a fire caused by a lightning strike on a chestnut and oak forest in Los Romeros, north of the city of Huelva. The fire prompted the evacuation of around 250 residents but was largely controlled by Wednesday morning. A blaze in Trancoso in Portugal that has been burning since Saturday got worse during the night as a lightning reignited an area that was thought safe, the civil protection service said. In Albania, Defence Minister Pirro Vengu said it was a 'critical week', with several major wildfires burning across the country. Some 10,000 firefighters, soldiers and police emergency units struggled with a total of 24 wildfires on Wednesday, the defence ministry said. Flames reached two villages in the centre of the country, forcing villagers to flee, taking their livestock with them. 'We are going in the middle of two rivers because the fire has arrived,' said Hajri Dragoti, 68, from Narte, who fled with his wife taking a cow, a donkey and a dog. 'We can't do anything, it is like gunpowder.' Spain was in its 10th day of a heatwave that peaked on Tuesday with temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), and which AEMET expected to last until Monday, making it one of the longest on record. Pope Leo moved his weekly audience from St. Peter's Square to an indoor venue in the Vatican, 'to stay a little bit out of the sun and the extreme heat' as Italy's health ministry issued extreme heat warnings for 16 cities on Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to peak at 39C (102F) in Florence.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Volunteer Firefighter Dies as Wildfires Rage Across Heat-Stricken Spain
A firefighting volunteer died from severe burns, while several people were hospitalized as dozens of wildfires fueled by strong winds and scorching heat continued to rage across Spain on Wednesday. At least six large wildfires were still out of control on Wednesday, according to regional emergency services. The victim, a 35-year old volunteer, had been attempting to create firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the blaze, regional officials said. The fire had two active fronts that were still out of control, as weather services forecast another day of strong winds and electric storms. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated in the region, which is Spain's largest, and efforts were being concentrated on preventing the flames from reaching smaller towns. Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told SER radio station that many fires across the country were suspected to be intentionally caused by arsonists due to their "virulence", but that it was too early to quantify these. On Monday, another fire had killed a man working at a horse stable on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid and reached some houses 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 active fires affected a combined 10,000 hectares in Ourense province. Weather agency AEMET forecast "extreme" risk of wildfires across Spain on Wednesday.
The National
6 days ago
- Climate
- The National
Volunteer firefighter dies from burns as wildfires continue raging across Spain
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.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain
Volunteer firefighter dies as wildfires rage across heat-stricken Spain By David Latona MADRID (Reuters) -A firefighting volunteer died from severe burns, while several people were hospitalised as dozens of wildfires fuelled by strong winds and scorching heat continued to rage across Spain on Wednesday. At least six large wildfires were still out of control on Wednesday, according to regional emergency services. The victim, a 35-year old volunteer, had been attempting to create firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas, in the north-central Castile and Leon region, when he became trapped in the blaze, regional officials said. The fire had two active fronts that were still out of control, as weather services forecast another day of strong winds and electric storms. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated in the region, which is Spain's largest, and efforts were being concentrated on preventing the flames from reaching smaller towns. Environment Minister Sara Aagesen told SER radio station that many fires across the country were suspected to be intentionally caused by arsonists due to their "virulence", but that it was too early to quantify these. On Monday, another fire had killed a man working at a horse stable on the outskirts of the Spanish capital Madrid and reached some houses 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 active fires affected a combined 10,000 hectares in Ourense province. Weather agency AEMET forecast "extreme" risk of wildfires across Spain on Wednesday.
