Fire out of control in Galicia, Castile and Leon and Extremadura: thousands of hectares burned and evacuated
People trying to quell a forest fire in Ourense.
The fires inthe northwest and west of the Iberian peninsula have already burned 50,000 hectares in Galicia. In addition, 3,500 people have had to be evicted from their homes in the last hours of Castilla eta León, and in Extremadura; 0 the fire that broke out six days ago in Jarilla(Cáceres) is currently "out of control" in the north;
In this context, thousands of people remain evacuated in the affected areas, especially in the provinces of Ourense, Cáceres and León , and the high-speed rail service between Madrid and Galicia has already been suspended for five days.
Similarly, 16 secondary roads are closed by fire\u00A0in the following autonomous communities: Extremadura, Galicia, Castilla y León, Asturias and Cantabria.
The situation has been particularly complex in recenthours in Extremadura. The fire in Jarilla (Cáceres), which is completely "out of control" in the north, has burned more than 11,000 hectares and a perimeter of 130 kilometres. In this regard, the Extremadura Board has urgently called for more resources in view of the fire situation.
Meanwhile, in Castilla y León, 28 forest fires are active this Sunday, 10 of them at the highest level of gravity, and 3,500 people have been evicted. TheChairman of the Junta de Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco , has called for "immediate reinforcement" with the resources of the Army and the European Mechanism to take control of the fires.
In Galicia, the fire has burned 50,000 hectares and there are currently 12 active foci that have not yet been controlled, all in Ourense. The largest fire has been declared in the municipality of Chandrexa de Queixa. Thepresident of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda , has requested urgent assistance, including the immediate mobilization of the Armed Forces.
In Asturias, on the other hand, there are currently 12 forest fires, six of which are still out of control, four controlled and two stabilised.
In this context, thePresident of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez , has announced that another 500 military personnel will be deployed to the firefighting work and has called on the public to "pay attention" to the advice of the professionals, given the "complex days ahead".
A total of 27 people have been arrested and 92 investigated since 1 June, when the forest fire campaign began.