Fiona Govan
A WILDFIRE blazing out of control in Castellon province continued on Wednesday with residents evacuated from towns as the flames spread into Valencia province.
An estimated 4,000 hectares of mostly pine forest have gone up in flames with authorities ordering the evacuation of several towns and villages as a precaution as winds made the blaze unpredictable.
The towns of Teresa and Sacañet were evacuated during the night after the wind suddenly changed direction, sending the blaze dangerously close to homes.
At least two firefighters were treated in hospital after being caught up in the blaze while attempting to bring it under control.
A fleet of thirty water-carrying aircraft have been scrambled in to battle the flames, but the best hope is that storms bring rain to douse them within the next few hours.
Firefighting teams have been brought in from across Spain to help tackle fires which have simultaneously hit the Bejis area and the Vall d’Ebon in Alicante, where a further 11,000 hectares have already been scorched.
One firefighter drafted in from Ronda shared video with the Olive Press showing the enormously dangerous task facing the teams.
He explained that the neglected state of the forests made the fire spread quickly. “The undergrowth is very unkept, full of brambles and bushes,” he told the Olive Press on a break from fighting the blaze outside the town of Teresa. “And that makes the fires spread very quickly and very easily.”
This summer has already proved the worst on record for Spain in terms of wildfires. Close to 250,000 hectares are estimated to have been destroyed by flames after a summer that has been hotter and drier than usual.
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