Madrid [Spain], August 20: German firefighters have arrived in northern Spain to help combat the country's most severe wildfires in decades.
A total of 67 emergency personnel, along with 23 vehicles, have reached San Sebastian in the Basque Country, the fire brigade in Bonn said on Tuesday. The crew were expected to continue on to the fire-hit Extremadura region, which borders Portugal, later on Tuesday.
One of the largest blazes is burning near the town of Jarilla in Extremadura, where around 15,000 hectares have already been destroyed. Portugal is also battling four major wildfires.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska were due to visit the Extremadura fire zone on Tuesday. Sanchez had already toured affected areas in Galicia the previous day.
Reinforcements and aircraft have also arrived from France, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. However, meteorologists warned that rain, the most effective relief, was unlikely in the coming days.
Authorities described the battle against the flames as dangerous, with shifting winds creating fire walls several meters high and the risk of crews being encircled. One Spanish commander likened the situation to a "fire tsunami." So far, four people have died in Spain and two in Portugal. Since the start of the year, an estimated 3,440 square kilometres of land have been scorched in Spain.
Source: Qatar Tribune
