More than 1000 people evacuated in northwest Spain

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• Spain is currently suffering from a heatwave with temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius.
• As a result, forest fires are breaking out again and again and are difficult to contain.
• More than a thousand people are now having to leave their homes in the northwest of the country.

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More than 1000 people have been evacuated in the northwest of Spain due to ongoing forest fires. According to the local authorities on Sunday, the fires in the provinces of Castilla y León continued to spread due to strong winds and high temperatures.

Around 400 people had been evacuated around the municipality of Carucedo and a further 700 from several villages near the Unesco World Heritage Site of Las Médulas.

According to the fire department, the scorching temperatures, low humidity and strong winds made it difficult to extinguish the fire. Around 60 soldiers from the UME military emergency unit and 20 emergency vehicles were sent to the area to take part in the large-scale firefighting operation. Aircraft and bulldozers are being used to create a firebreak.

Spain's head of government Pedro Sánchez thanked the emergency services "for their tireless efforts" in the online service X.

Fire, fire

Heat warning for parts of western Switzerland and Ticino

Suspicion of arson

The head of the regional government of Castilla y León, Alfonso Manueco, expressed his suspicion that the fires were caused by arson: "We will take action against the perpetrators of these attacks on the lives and safety of people and our historical heritage", Manueco told the X online service.

Just a few days ago, a forest fire near the tourist town of Tarifa in southern Spain was brought under control. More than 1,500 people and 5,000 vehicles were evacuated from campsites, hotels and homes because of the fire.

Spain is currently suffering from a heatwave with temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius, which favors the outbreak of fires. According to the weather service, the high temperatures are expected to continue until at least Thursday. The civil protection authorities have warned of a high risk of forest fires in large parts of the country.