Tens of thousands of residents in northeastern Spain’s Tarragona province were told to stay indoors on Tuesday as a rapidly spreading wildfire engulfed almost 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. Authorities evacuated dozens of people as the fire, with intense winds and dry lands, raged out of control.
The fire, which broke out in an isolated area close to the village of Pauls early Monday, has been fueled by up to 90 km/h (56 mph) gusts, making it much harder for the firefighters. Catalan regional firefighting service confirmed that a strong Mistral wind was about to ease later Tuesday, bringing some respite to more than 300 firefighters and military rescue troops sent to fight the blaze.
The blaze comes on the heels of Spain’s record-breaking June heat and a fatal July 1 wildfire in Catalonia that killed two people. Large parts of the country are in a state of alert as heatwaves driven by climate change raise the threat of fires.
Through the night, fire engines sped through the hilly Pauls region as the fire advance encircled villages in the area. Homeowners in Xerta and Aldover spent a sleepless, fearful night as houses were threatened.
“Lots of fear and lots of tears because we were already at the edge of the fire,” replied 76-year-old Rosa Veleda. “Last night, due to the wind driving the flames and the smoke, we could not venture out of the house. It was awful. We’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
Firemen were able to prevent the fire from jumping the Ebro River, a vital divide that might have plunged the disaster far deeper. Officials estimated some 30% of the land burned falls within protected Natural Park of the Ports and announced an investigation into what caused the fire.
