Firefighters were struggling Sunday to contain multiple wildfires in Spain, which has been sweltering for over two weeks amid an intense heatwave.
At least three people have died because of the fires, which have destroyed an estimated 1,150 square kilometers of forest and vegetation. Thousands of residents have also been evacuated.
With a scorching heatwave hindering attempts to contain 20 major fires across Spain, the government has deployed 500 extra troops from its Military Emergencies Unit (UME) to support firefighters.
Galicia, in Spain’s northwest, is one of the worst affected areas. The Atlantic coastal region has seen multiple fires converge into one large blaze which has forced highways and railway services to be shut.
The regions of Castile and Leon, Extremadura and Asturias have also been severely impacted. Neighboring Portugal has also been tackling several wildfires.
Prolonged, intense heatwave hampering firefighting efforts
The wildfires have been exacerbated by an extended drought and heatwave that has seen temperatures soar to more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Spain’s national weather service AEMET has issued extreme fire risk warnings for several regions, which will remain in effect until at least Monday.
Some parts of the country are expected to see temperatures reach up to 45 degrees Celsius, AEMET said.
Prime minister cuts holiday short to deal with crisis
“There are still some challenging days ahead and, unfortunately, the weather is not on our side,” Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters in Ourense, one of the worst affected provinces in northwestern Galicia.
The prime minister was visiting the provinces of Ourense and Leon on Sunday after interrupting his summer holiday.
Sanchez also said more troops would be sent to help tackle the blazes, bringing the total number of troops deployed across the country to 1,900.
In Ourense, Sanchez said his government would deliver a “national pact to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency.”
He added that the government would do “everything possible and even more” to assist the victims of the fires.
Germany sends specially trained firefighters to Spain
On Sunday morning, Spain requested assistance from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, through which EU member states can quickly provide help to deal with disasters such as major wildfires.
France and Italy had earlier sent water bombers to boost Spain’s firefighting efforts.
Germany will also send specially trained firefighting units from five German cities to Spain, according to the Bonn Fire Department.
A total of 67 firefighters, along with 21 vehicles and three trailers, are expected to arrive in Spain on Tuesday evening. They are expected to remain in Spain until August 30.
“It is self-evident for us to send our firefighters to provide support,” North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul said, according to a spokesman.
“In Europe, we stand by each other, especially when it matters most,” he said.
Edited by: Rana Taha
