Over 4,000 hectares of land destroyed in wildfires in northwestern Spain-Xinhua

Over 4,000 hectares of land destroyed in wildfires in northwestern Spain

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2022-08-08 02:08:15

Firefighters battle a wildfire in Cebreros, Castilla y Leon, Spain, on July 21, 2022. (Junta de Castilla y Leon/Handout via Xinhua)

According to data collected by the Copernicus satellite on Saturday, around 230,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires in the driest summer on record in Spain this year.

MADRID, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Over 4,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in seven wildfires that are still burning in the autonomous community of Galicia in northwestern Spain, according to local firefighting services on Sunday.

At least 2,000 hectares have so far been ravaged by the largest fire close to the city of A Coruna. There have not been any casualties, but the flames have forced the evacuation of 700 people from a campsite in the A Pobra do Caraminal.

The fire in the province of Ourense has burned 600 hectares after starting simultaneously in 10 different places, but has been brought under control.

Most of the fires were thought to be started intentionally, according to local media reports.

Forest firefighters work at a hot area in the province of Zamora, Spain, on June 20, 2022. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

The leader of the main opposition party (PP) Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who is also the former president of the Regional Government of Galicia, called for the "full weight of the law" to be brought on those responsible for the fires.

According to data collected by the Copernicus satellite on Saturday, around 230,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires in the driest summer on record in Spain this year.

The central government on Monday approved a new law to help prevent future fires, which includes measures such as increasing all-year-round vigilance and removing undergrowth to prevent flames to spread rapidly. 

Photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows trees burnt in a wildfire in the province of Zamora, Spain. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua) 

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