Earth Science News
FIRE STORM
Strong winds drive early Spain wildfire
Strong winds drive early Spain wildfire
by AFP Staff Writers
Madrid (AFP) March 27, 2023

Strong winds fanned the flames of Spain's first major fire of the year on Monday, complicating work for firefighters despite milder temperatures.

The blaze has ravaged around 4,300 hectares (10,500 acres) of mainly forest since Thursday and forced some 1,800 people from their homes.

Over 500 firefighters battled the fire which broke out near the eastern village of Villanueva de Viver, where unseasonably warm temperatures neared 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday.

Three villages with a combined population of around 80 people -- Higueras, Pavias and Torralba del Pinar -- were the latest to be evacuated on Monday, emergency services said.

They were backed by 23 water-dropping planes and helicopters before night fell.

While temperatures dropped on Monday with the mercury reaching just 19C, strong winds of up to 70 kilometres (44 miles) an hour stirred the flames, officials said.

"We have to be prudent because the fire remains very active," Gabriela Bravo, the regional head of interior affairs in the Valencia region, told reporters.

"Our main enemy was the weather. It did not help at all, the wind activated" the fire, she added.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the blaze proved "the climate emergency exists".

"We are leaving winter and we are already experiencing wildfires that are typical of the summer months," he added, visiting the affected area of eastern Valencia.

Fourteen firefighters have been lightly injured while battling the blaze.

Officials say Spain's wildfires season now runs from spring to autumn, rather than just during the summer.

The country is experiencing long-term drought after three years of below-average rainfall.

In 2022, a particularly bad year for wildfires in Europe, Spain was the continent's worst-hit country. Nearly 500 blazes destroyed more than 300,000 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Climate change amplifies droughts that create ideal conditions for wildfires to spread out-of-control and inflict unprecedented material and environmental damage.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FIRE STORM
Spain mulls options as wildfires gain in size, intensity
Tabara, Spain (AFP) March 27, 2023
Walking through the charred remains of the forested hillsides of Sierra de la Culebra that were devastated by Spain's worst wildfire last year, Pablo Martin Pinto is blunt. "We are moving from the era of big forest fires to mega forest fires in Spain," says this wildfire expert from Valladolid University, warning that such vast blazes were "here to stay". Last year, Spain suffered nearly 500 wildfires that devastated huge swathes of land, with experts warning that such California-style blazes w ... read more

FIRE STORM
Florida lawmakers approve permit-free concealed weapons

White House calls Nashville school shooting 'heartbreaking'

UN's global disaster alert systems goal faces uphill climb

Natural disasters, inflation upped insurers' costs in 2022: Swiss Re

FIRE STORM
New mining technology uses CO2 as tool to access critical minerals

ESA in miniature

NRO awards contracts to BlackSky and Planet Labs for hyperspectral capabilities

Artist Karla Ortiz sees AI 'identity theft', not promise

FIRE STORM
Leaders must 'urgently' act to avoid climate 'Armageddon': Vanuatu PM

Humanity must chart new course on water use: UN chief

NGOs fear seabed mining could get green light in 2023

UN considers 'historic' Vanuatu-led climate resolution

FIRE STORM
Deep ocean currents around Antarctica headed for collapse, study finds

The Greenland ice sheet is close to a melting point of no return

Third pole darkening affects local and remote climates

3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier

FIRE STORM
Tackling counterfeit seeds with "unclonable" labels

Quake hit one-fifth of Turkey's food production: UN

How Vietnam is trying to stop rice warming the planet

How plants cope with the cold light of day - and why it matters for future crops

FIRE STORM
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts, belches huge ash tower

Malawi's cyclone toll to reach 1,200 as hopes fade

Names Fiona, Ian removed from UN's hurricane roster

Cyclone Freddy record claim in the eye of the storm

FIRE STORM
Sudan coup leader urges troops to back democratic transition

DNA reveals African and Asian ancestry of medieval Swahili people

DR Congo president appoints former militia leader as defence chief

Disinformation attack targeted key Sahel state Niger: AFP investigation

FIRE STORM
Japanese immigrant's legacy paints Mexico City violet

Global population could peak below 9 billion in 2050s

"Spatial computing" enables flexible working memory

Vast cemetery in Iraq echoes 14 centuries of life and death

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.