- Title: Locals worry strong winds could fuel major wildfire in Spain
- Date: 26th March 2023
- Summary: PINA DE MONTALGRAO, SPAIN (MARCH 26, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SMOKE BILLOWING FROM MOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF AIRPLANES DUMPING WATER AND EXTINGUISHING MATERIAL OVER MOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF GROUP OF CYCLISTS WATCHING CLOUDS OF SMOKE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, JORGE GRAUSELL, 72, SAYING: “I came to check what I could see from here because this is essential for tourism in this area. The people here live from cycling, hiking and the few bars that exist are the only business they own. If this burns down, people have little livelihood." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, ANTONIO DEVESA, 54, SAYING: “The wind is the worst thing for the fire. It seems to have been subdued this morning but there are still flames here, so we are a bit worried that the wind will change and the situation will become more complicated. Let's hope it doesn't.†(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, JORGE GRAUSELL, 72, SAYING: “It is very sad because I am a keen hiker and I have a group of people with whom I go out every week to walk. You see this and it's a great pity, it's a great pity because this is a disaster for anyone who likes nature. And for a recklessness that was not intentional but it was still a recklessness, it cannot be allowed with the drought, because it has not fallen a drop (of rain) in three months, and that they start to do sport with some machines, that should not be allowed." VARIOUS OF SCORCHED LAND AIRPLANES FLYING OVER MOUNTAIN
- Embargoed: 9th April 2023 13:46
- Keywords: Spain fire firefighters mountain smoke wildfire
- Location: PINA DE MONTALGRAO, SPAIN
- City: PINA DE MONTALGRAO, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Europe,Wildfires/Forest Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA001037326032023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Local residents were worried on Sunday (March 26) that expected strong winds could complicate efforts to extinguish Spain's first major wildfire of the year.
The fire has destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of forest and forced 1,700 villagers to leave their homes in the Valencia and Aragon regions.
"The wind is the worst thing for the fire. It seems to have been subdued this morning but there are still flames here, so we are a bit worried that the wind will change and the situation will become more complicated. Let's hope it doesn't,†said local resident Antonio Devesa as he was watching the clouds of smoke with a group of cyclist friends.
"Fire tourists" were warned to stay away on Sunday from the wildfire and some of the evacuated people from the Aragon region were due to come back to their homes during the day.
More than 500 firefighters supported by 20 planes and helicopters were working to bring the blaze under control on Sunday, four days after it started near the village of Villanueva de Viver, emergency services said.
Residents said the fire could destroy the livelihoods of the villagers who live from tourism.
"The people here live from cycling, hiking, and the few bars. If this burns down, people have little livelihood," said Jorge Grausell, 72, who goes trekking in the area affected by the blaze.
"You see this and it is a disaster for anyone who likes nature."
An unusually dry winter across parts of southern Europe has raised concern that there could be a repeat of last year's devastating wildfires.
Last year, some 785,000 hectares were destroyed in Europe, more than double the annual average for the past 16 years, based on European Commission (EC) statistics.
In Spain, 493 fires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land, according to the Commission's European Forest Fire Information System.
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