the first big fire of the year devours the south of Spain

A gigantic inferno, still out of control. A fire broke out on Thursday March 23 in the town of Villanueva de Viver and is devouring the province of Castellón, located in southern Spain. “We are facing a rather typical summer fire”worried, on the public radio RNE, Manolo Nicolás, spokesperson for the firefighters of the province. 3,000 hectares have already burned, and nearly 500 firefighters and around twenty air resources have been deployed. Fanned by strong winds and a temperature of nearly 35°C, the fire crossed the roads and threatens the cities. About 1,500 residents have already had to be evacuated.

A drought of several months

This is the first major fire of the year, the result of a drought in southern Spain that has lasted for several months. Desert landscapes emerge there, especially in Catalonia. In this region, water restrictions have been put in place. Speaking from Brussels, where he took part in a European summit, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez judged that such a “fire so soon [dans l’année] is further proof of the climate emergency that humanity is experiencing and which particularly affects countries like ours”.