Severe wildfires raging in south-western France and central Spain have resulted in more than 250,000 people being evacuated from their homes. In central Spain around 70,000 people have been evacuated. A national emergency has been declared in Spain as the virulence of the wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions, has caught fire crews and authorities off guard.
First confirmed death in latest fires
On Saturday, it was confirmed that a man was killed in a wildfire in Manises, a suburb of Valencia, that raged for four hours on Saturday, the local government said, marking Spain’s first recorded death in the latest fires. "We still have some difficult hours ahead," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday, but the night was "very positive in terms of bringing the flames under control".
Fire risk worsens next week
Fires have burned 130,000 hectares of forest already this year in Spain, up from an annual average of 100,000 hectares over the past decade, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Saturday as he visited a command post west of Madrid. According to Spain’s meteorological agency, Aemet, the risk of fires is set to worsen next week as highs of 42C are forecast in some parts of the country. Fire risk maps, which indicate the risk based on colours running from blue (very low risk) to red (extreme), show that by Wednesday the country is at an ‘extreme’ risk of wildfires. In contrast, the map for Monday shows that northern and central Spain are at a ‘moderate’ risk of fire, while large parts of the south and the west are at an ‘extreme’ risk.
UK Foreign Office advice
The UK Foreign Office issued the following update on Saturday: "Spanish authorities have declared a national emergency because of wildfires in parts of Madrid and Ávila. There are also reports of wildfires in other inland areas of Spain. If you are in an area affected by a wildfire: follow instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times; check updates from the emergency services; call 112 if you need emergency help."
