Area of 42,000 soccer fields destroyed
© What/AFP
Due to the record forest fires in several regions of Spain, another 30,000 hectares of land have been destroyed within 24 hours. As satellite data showed on Tuesday morning, an area of 42,000 soccer fields in the west of the country has fallen victim to the flames since the previous day.
In the worst forest fire season Spain so far, according to the European Waldbrand Information System Effi, 373,000 hectares of land has burned since the beginning of the year – more than ever within a whole year. Several large fires have been blazing in Spain for a week: in the northwestern provinces of Zamora and León, in the Galician province of Ourense and in the western province of Cáceres and in the extramadura region on the border with Portugal. Thousands of residents were evacuated from dozens of villages, several main traffic axes are closed and train traffic between Madrid and Galicia was discontinued.
In view of the fires, Spain’s head of government Pedro Sánchez announced a “national pact” against the “climate emergency” on Sunday. According to the authorities, the fires were far from extinguished on Tuesday, but cooler temperatures at the end of a 16-day heat wave with temperatures of 45 degrees gave hope for the fire that was soon impressive.
Maximum temperatures dropped
The maximum temperatures dropped by ten to twelve degrees, while the humidity rose, Nicanor Sen said of the regional government in Castile and León. “These changes facilitate and improve the conditions to control the fires,” said Sen to the broadcaster TVE.
According to scientists, more than 1,100 people have been killed in the country because of the high temperatures. The public health institute Carlos III reported 1,149 deaths on Tuesday to be attributed to the heat wave between 3rd and 18 August. Accordingly, there were already 1,060 heat note in July. That was an increase of 50 percent compared to the previous year.
