According to authorities, an out-of-control wildfire continues to rage in northwest Spain, destroying more than 19,000 hectares of land amid an intense heatwave.
According to Xinhua, the regional government of Castile and Leon, the fire in the Sierra de la Culebra, a Spanish nature reserve, has forced the evacuation of 11 villages.
Hundreds of firefighters and emergency personnel, as well as 40 fire engines, 20 helicopters, and four aircraft, have been dispatched to fight the blaze, which was sparked on June 15 by a lightning strike.
Angel Manuel Sanchez, a fire brigade official in Castile and Leon, told local media that the fire “had two fronts that were very active.”
Spain has been experiencing an unusually early heatwave, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in many cities and areas over the last few days.
On Sunday, the heat is expected to begin to subside.
