VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain (Reuters) – A major forest fire has broken out in eastern Spain, destroying more than 3,000 hectares and causing the evacuation of 1,500 people, authorities said.
More than 500 firefighters, planes and helicopters were mobilized on Thursday and Friday to put out the fire near the village of Villanueva de Viver, in the Valencia region.
Firefighters believe they have the blaze under control, but strong winds and “almost summer temperatures” could revive it, said Gabriela Bravo, internal affairs officer for the Valencia region.
Forest fires destroyed 307,000 hectares in Spain last year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
(Report Lorena Sopena, David Latona, Emma Pinedo, Antonella Cinelli and Karolina Tagaris; written by Charlie Devereux; French version Camille Raynaud, edited by Tangi Salaün)
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