Fires torch thousands of hectares in Spain over weekend

Madrid, Jul 25 (EFE).- Thousands of hectares have been burnt in forest fires over the weekend in Spain, prompting a “critical situation” in Catalonia, where people have been evacuated as the blazes advance.

The fire in Catalonia – on Spain’s northeastern coast – is still out of control in the districts of Barcelona and Tarragona, having burnt some 1,300 hectares (about 3,300 acres) of forestland and crops, according to emergency services.

Firefighters fear that the blaze could affect 5,000 hectares as unfavorable conditions – including strong winds – are hindering efforts to extinguish the flames along a front stretching nearly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

More than 300 firefighters and 50 fire engines as well as 15 tanker aircraft have been dispatched to the region, and at least 168 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Another fire has been extinguished after torching some 2,000 hectares in the southeastern province of Albacete, while hundreds of hectares have been decimated by blazes in other parts of the country over the weekend.

EFE nac/ta-bp