Spanish firefighters continue to tackle raging fires

Madrid, Jul 22 (EFE).- Spanish emergency services on Friday continued to tackle wildfires as the amount of forest burnt so far this year increased to 122,000 hectares, according to prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

The prime minister warned the figure was likely to increase as several large fires were still active across the country, although the majority have been stabilized.

In the northeastern region of Galicia, where forest fires have devastated over 30,000 hectares of land in recent days, firefighters were tackling a large fire in Lugo.

Among the fires that have caused most concern was the one in the central region of Zaragoza, which spread across 14,000 hectares and is now finally under control.

Emergency services have also begun to withdraw from a fire in Zamora in the Castile and León region of northwest Spain, which claimed the lives of two people.

Sanchez warned there were still “very difficult” days and weeks ahead while urging citizens to be cautious due to extreme heat, adding that the intense heat wave gripping Europe was proof that the planet is experiencing a climate crisis. EFE

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