- Title: Spain's Asturias ravaged by fires as authorities blame 'terrorist' arsonists
- Date: 31st March 2023
- Summary: PIEDRAFITA, ASTURIAS, SPAIN (MARCH 31, 2023) (REUTERS) ORANGE SKY DUE TO FIRES AT NIGHT SEEN IN DISTANCE FIRE FIGHTER STANDING NEAR BLAZE SKY / FIRE FIRE FIGHTER NEAR INTENSE BLAZE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALBERTO CASTRO, GALICIAN FIREFIGHTERS GROUP CHIEF, SAYING: "We are making a fire break, so that when the fire comes, and we have been told that it’s coming virulently, from the villages below, that it will have this break and not reach the farm we have above us. That’s the objective: to save this farm right now. We have to save the villages because this is very complicated, we can see how this is advancing." FIRE FIGHTERS MAKING A FIRE BREAK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALBERTO CASTRO, GALICIAN FIREFIGHTERS GROUP CHIEF, SAYING: "Yes, we see what we have been assigned. We have been assigned to defend this farm, so here we are protecting it, then we will go to another village. Civil Protection have told us things are very complicated, but we aren’t from here. We are Galicians and we don’t know the territory and we are under orders for what they tell us to do, to protect property and to help out our neighbours." MORE OF FIRE FIGHTERS MAKING A FIRE BREAK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALBERTO CASTRO, GALICIAN FIREFIGHTERS GROUP CHIEF, SAYING: "We can’t predict anything. The weather forecasts can change, but if it doesn’t rain it’s going to be very complicated. We are seeing that there is more wind, there’s a lot of vegetation here. They have said that it has crossed the motorway. These are situations that you don’t see every day." FIRE FIGHTERS STANDING NEAR LARGE BLAZE
- Embargoed: 15th April 2023 00:01
- Keywords: Asturias Spain blaze climate change fire fire burning night wildfires
- Location: PIEDRAFITA, ASTURIAS, SPAIN
- City: PIEDRAFITA, ASTURIAS, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Europe,Wildfires/Forest Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA001200631032023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The lush region of Asturias in northern Spain was ravaged by more than 90 wildfires on Friday (March 31), most of them believed to have been started by arsonists whom the region's leader called "fire terrorists".
Over 600 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blazes and several towns have been evacuated as police closed off roads and highways.
The Spanish government has said it is worried more wildfires will flare this year after an unusually dry winter across parts of southern Europe and rising average temperatures due to climate change.
"THEY ARE BURNING OUR ASTURIAS. We are dealing with real terrorists who are endangering lives, towns and cities," Adrian Barbon, the head of the regional government, said on Twitter.
Dozens of fires have already been put out by emergency services in Asturias and the neighbouring region of Cantabria over the past two days. Most of them were sparked on purpose and fanned by strong winds, authorities said.
Police said they opened multiple investigations but no arsonist has yet been identified. Penalties for arson can reach up to 20 years in prison, depending on the damage caused.
In the past, intentional fires have often been linked to pastoralists seeking to gain more grazing land for their cattle.
Asturias revoked a law restricting cattle from grazing in fire-damaged forest areas in 2017.
The densely-forested mountainous region is one of Spain's rainiest areas, though fires are common in March, according to the regional government.
A combination of scarce rainfall, high temperatures and winds has placed most of northern Spain at a high wildfire risk.
Spain registered its hottest March 29 on record on Wednesday, with temperatures exceeding normal levels by seven to 14 Celsius (44.6-57.2 Fahrenheit), according to weather agency AEMET.
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