Madrid – Some 300 firemen, backed by 19 helicopters and aircraft, were on Thursday fighting a wildfire, which broke out in a natural park on the east coast of Spain, to avert further damages, local media reported.
This new wildfire flared up in the Sierra Calderona Natural Park, between the towns of Castellon and Valencia, just after authorities curbed a fire that had damaged over 8,000 hectares in and around the Donana National Park in the southwest of Spain.
Although at the moment no property damage was reported and no persons have been evacuated, the Valencian Regional Government declared an emergency as the flames spread rapidly due to gusts of wind reaching up to 50 km per hour.
Local newspaper Las Provincias reported that 267 hectares of woodland had already gone up in flames.
Authorities closed a road to facilitate the work of the firefighters who were trying to stop the flames from penetrating further into the natural park.
Firefighters may have some natural help as storms are predicted for the region in the afternoon and evening, although until then strong offshore winds are expected to continue.
A forest fire occurred near the town of Moguer in the province of Huelva, which forced the evacuation of some 2,000 people in the region and the declaration of an emergency.
Local media said that the flames penetrated the Donana National Park, a world heritage site since 1994.
Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said that the wildfire blazing the Donana National Park was brought under control on Tuesday, but some regional environment officials said that the fire was still smoldering on Wednesday.