Spain wildfires destroy over 12,000 hectares in Aragon

Wildfires raged for two days in Spain's northeastern Aragon region, consuming more than 12,000 hectares of land, regional authorities announced Friday. Officials warned that the fires posed a high risk of further spread.

Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, a government security official for Aragon, described the overnight conditions as challenging, with firefighting efforts facing numerous difficulties. "At this time, we estimate the burned area has exceeded 12,000 hectares," he told reporters.

This incident occurs as Spain grapples with the aftermath of another major wildfire in the southern Andalusia region last week. That fire claimed 13 lives, including seven Britons and one American, and destroyed approximately 7,000 hectares, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in the country's modern history.

Currently, over 450 firefighters and military personnel are working to contain the escalating blaze near the city of Zaragoza in Aragon. Five small villages in the affected area have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. Aragon has experienced high temperatures, reaching 40 degrees Celsius for several days, complicating firefighting operations. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves to human-driven climate change, creating conditions ripe for the ignition and rapid spread of wildfires.

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At this time, we estimate the burned area has exceeded 12,000 hectares.