In the wake of Storm Ciarán, eastern Spain is grappling with a severe wildfire that has scorched approximately 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) and necessitated the evacuation of 850 residents from four towns. The blaze, which ignited near Montitxelvo, has summoned the efforts of 200 firefighters and soldiers from the army’s emergency unit in a bid to quell the flames.
The Valencia regional government is coordinating the firefighting efforts, with plans to deploy five aircraft equipped for water drops to assist the ground crews. Amidst the crisis, Regional President Carlos Mazón has urged the public to refrain from traveling to the affected areas and to refrain from activities that could potentially ignite new fires.
Complicating the firefighting efforts are the storm winds, which, according to the state news agency Efe, have reached velocities up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) overnight. These winds are exacerbating the wildfire, driving it through the mountainous and forested landscape.
Despite the ongoing storm conditions, which have brought heavy rains and gales to much of Europe, the precipitation and cooler temperatures have done little to mitigate the wildfire. Spain’s persistent drought, which has been exacerbated by climate change over the past two years, has left the land too dry to absorb the rainwater, leading to significant runoff into rivers and eventually the Mediterranean Sea.
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