The Spanish authorities ordered that more than 18,000 residents of the Tarragona province in the northeast of the country remained at home on Tuesday (8), and dozens of others were removed from their residences due to an uncontrolled forest fire, which consumed almost 30 square kilometers of vegetation.
Large areas of Spain are on maximum warning for flames after the country has experienced the
On July 1 in the region of Catalonia, where Tarragona is located.
The most recent flames occurred on Monday morning (7) in a remote area near the village of Pauls, where strong winds made it difficult to fight fire, according to authorities.
An emergency military unit was mobilized on the morning of Tuesday (8), along with more than 300 firefighters working in the area.
“Since midnight, firefighters fight the fire with gusts that reach 90 kilometers per hour,” said the Catalonia Regional Fire Fighting Service, adding that the forecast is that the strong Mixth Wind decreases in the afternoon.
At night, cars traveled the winding roads of the Serra de Pauls, surrounded by the flames, while the teams evaluated and tried to contain the fire.
In the neighboring villages of Xerta and Aldover, the residents spent the night clear as the flames threatened their homes.
“(There was) a lot of fear and a lot of crying because we are already on the edge of the fire. Last night, due to the wind that blew the fire and smoke, we could not leave the house. Terrible, this was never seen before,”
Authorities said they prevented the fire from spreading the Ebro River, which would have worsened the situation.
Approximately 30% of the affected area is in the Ports Natural Park, located at.
Authorities investigate the origins of the fire.
