Major Spain wildfire forces 1,500 people to flee homes

Blazes take hold in north-eastern Spain as rain in France brings fires largely under control

Residents stand near a forest fire in Anon de Moncayo, Spain, on Saturday. AP

About 1,500 people from eight villages in the Zaragoza province were forced to flee their homes after a large wildfire in north-east Spain grew rapidly overnight and was burning out of control on Sunday, firefighters said.

Javier Lamban, head of the local Aragon government, said on Sunday that the situation was critical in the town of Anon de Moncayo and the priority for the 300 firefighters fighting the blaze was to protect human lives and villages.

The wildfire began on Saturday and quickly developed a 50-kilometre perimeter in less than 24 hours, the local forest chief said.

It is estimated that up to 8,000 hectares has been burnt, state news agency EFE reported.

Those who fled took shelter in three sports centres in nearby towns.

Firefighters said the outlook for controlling the blaze depended on the weather, but gusty winds up to 60kph were predicted.

Drought and extremely high temperatures in Spain are turning 2022 into the worst year of the century for fires.

So far this year, the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition has registered 43 large wildfires, which are those that have burnt at least 500ha

That is four times the amount of the previous year and a record for the last decade.

The European Forest Fire Information System says 248,674ha have been burnt in wildfires so far this year in Spain.

That is almost four times the country’s full-year average of 66,965ha since 2006, when records began.

High temperatures and wildfires in Europe - in pictures

A wildfire burns near Landiras, south-west France. AP

German firefighters, who will reinforce Greek crews this summer following devastating wildfires last year, at a welcoming ceremony in Tripoli, Greece. Reuters

A firefighter is silhouetted by flames in Louchats, in the Gironde region of south-west France. Reuters

A helicopter joins the effort to contain a wildfire at Garganta de los Infiernos nature reserve, in Jerte, central Spain. Reuters

A wildfire flares up near Landiras, south-west France. AP

A firefighter douses flames near Louchats, south-west France. Reuters

A firefighting aircraft drops water on a forest fire in Landiras, south-west France. EPA

Firefighters try to contain a wildfire at O Barco de Valdeorras in Galicia, north-west Spain. EPA

Meanwhile, a forest fire that flared up again in southern France sent 1,000 more people fleeing as overnight rain brought blazes elsewhere in the country under control, officials said on Sunday.

France has been hit this summer by a historic drought as well as heatwaves and several forest fires.

A fire that had been raging since Monday in the southern Aveyron region appeared to be under control and dying out on Saturday afternoon, when it suddenly reignited, burning 500 more hectares, the prefecture said.

At least 1,000 people were moved from the village of Mostuejouls near the city of Millau and six nearby hamlets, it said.

About 3,000 people had already been moved to safety because of the fire, but were allowed back when it appeared to be under control.

No casualties have been reported so far from the blaze, which has burnt 1,260ha so far.

Europe's wildfires - in pictures

Firefighters tackle a blaze close to the village of Opatje Selo, western Slovenia. AFP

A burned out vehicle and remains of the Blue Waves campsite in Gironde, France. Bloomberg

A destroyed restaurant at Lagune Beach in Gironde. Bloomberg

Firefighters extinguish a blaze in Le Tuzan, the Gironde. Bloomberg

A firefighter digs up burning roots while extinguishing ground fire in Le Tuzan. Bloomberg

Firefighters spray fire retardant in Le Tuzan. Bloomberg

Croatia’s Canadair airplane helps to extinguish wildfires close to the village of Kostanjevica na Krasu. AFP

Firefighters spray water with a hose on a the fire as wildfires rage in the forest close to the village of Novelo, Slovenia. Hundreds of firefighters were deployed in western Slovenia to battle a blaze that forced the evacuation of several villages, emergency services said. AFP

A firefighter douses a burning log near Aromas, California. AP

The Anzar brush fire in northern California’s San Benito County covered about 90 acres on Thursday and destroyed at least one structure. AP

A helicopter drops water on the fire near Aromas, California. AP

About 200 firefighters were battling the blaze, which officials said was burning at a moderate speed, fuelled by acres of eucalyptus trees. AP

A burnt statue at the Les Flots Bleus camping site, which was destroyed by the fire that ravaged La Teste-de-Buch forest in France's Gironde region. Reuters

Two people walk on a path covered with ashes after a fire consumed acres of forest near Brasparts, western France. AFP

A fire engine burnt in the blaze that hit Brasparts, France. AFP

An aerial view of the Les Flots Bleus camping site after the blaze. Reuters

An aircraft drops retardant on a fire near Glen Rose, Texas. Officials say a mandatory evacuation order issued because of a wildfire in North Texas has been lifted although the threat of fires remains high. AP Photo

The burnt yard of a house after a wildfire near Megara town, west of Athens, Greece. The fire broke out in the hills outside the town, prompting a new, but limited, round of evacuations. AP Photo

Smoke from wildfires close to houses in the village of Kostanjevica na Krasu. Hundreds of firefighters were sent to western Slovenia to battle a blaze that forced the evacuation of several villages. AFP

Croatia’s Canadair plane helps to extinguish wildfires close to the village of Kostanjevica na Krasu. AFP

Firefighters soak the smoldering ground on the coast of Possum Kingdom Lake in Graford, Texas. AP

A firefighter in Megara, west of Athens. AFP

A wildfire rages near the border with Italy, in Miren, Slovenia. Reuters

An aerial view of the Pyla dune in Pyla sur Mer, near Arcachon, south-west France. In the Gironde region of France, two huge fires feeding on tinder-dry pine forests forced tens of thousands of people to flee homes and summer vacation spots since they broke out July 12. AP

This house caught alight during a wildfire in Megara, Greece. EPA

A local man was under investigation for accidentally starting the fire when a metal part of his trailer touched the road, sending off sparks that ignited the dried vegetation.

To limit such risks in eastern France, police said on Saturday they were banning entry to all but residents in most forests in the Bas-Rhin region near the German border.

Meanwhile in the south-western Gironde region around Bordeaux, a huge fire that flared on Tuesday was under control after rain fell overnight, a senior official said.

"The night was favourable to us, since as you know, we had rain and very little wind," Ronan Leaustic, deputy prefect of Arcachon commune, said on Sunday. "The fire is now contained."

Mr Leaustic said 8,000 residents forced to flee could now return home.

Firefighters in France battle to contain wildfire - video

There was further relief after a fire in the eastern department of Jura that destroyed more than 1,000ha was brought under control.

Arnaud Mendousse, of Gironde fire and rescue, said earlier there had been between 10 and 30 millimetres of rain in the region but on "terrain that is extremely dry".

"We know that this offers a respite but does not signify an end to the fight," Mr Mendousse said. "We know that if it does not rain in the next 48 to 72 hours the risk will increase considerably."

He said the humidity level has gone up and the temperature was relatively low at about 25ºC, but warned: "The fire is not completely out and the soil remains extremely hot."

Meteo France was forecasting lower temperatures, and rain and thunderstorms for most of the country on Sunday.

In the north-west, in the Broceliande forest in region of Brittany where wildfires are normally rare, a fire was contained after rain fell overnight, but remained under watch after devastating 400ha, officials said.

EU members including Germany, Poland, Austria and Romania have sent reinforcement to France to help battle blazes, and several water-bombing planes from the bloc's fleet have joined the fight.