Spanish Forest Fires Simultaneously Overwhelm German Firefighters (40 in Total)
Spain Faces Ongoing Forest Fire Crisis
Spain is currently grappling with a severe forest fire crisis, with the region of Extremadura being one of the hardest hit. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska recently visited Jarilla to assess the situation.
The fires in Extremadura have already burned through at least 15,000 hectares, leaving parts of nature reserves destroyed. Thinly populated and partially difficult-to-access areas in mountainous terrain have been affected, resulting in thousands of people being evacuated.
The Autonomous Communities are responsible for preventing and fighting forest fires in Spain. However, affected people have been protesting, complaining about inadequate prevention and late help against the flames.
In an effort to combat the fires, the Spanish government has declared the most affected areas as disaster zones, paving the way for swift state aid for rebuilding. This decision comes as high-speed train traffic between Madrid and Galicia remains suspended for the sixth day in a row.
The fires in Spain and Portugal are particularly dangerous, with intense winds and some generated by the fires themselves posing a threat to firefighters. Four people have died in Spain, two in Portugal, and one firefighter in Galicia was severely burned on Monday.
To aid Spain in its fight against the fires, France, Italy, and Finland have sent firefighting aircraft, while the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Slovakia have sent firefighting helicopters. A task force of firefighters from North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, dubbed the "Fire Fighting Task Force," is stationed near Aldeanueva del Camino in the Extremadura region of Spain.
The central government has also mobilized hundreds of additional soldiers to supplement the military's special unit for firefighting. However, rain is not expected in the coming days according to the weather service, which is a concern for firefighters.
Preliminary estimates by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) show that over 3,800 square kilometers of nature have been destroyed since the beginning of the year. The Autonomous Communities of Castile and León, Galicia, Extremadura, and Asturias are the most affected in the northwest.
Prime Minister Sánchez has interrupted his summer vacation to visit several affected areas due to the devastating fires in the north and west of the country. The situation remains critical, with the fires in Jarilla being referred to as a "fire tsunami."
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