Wildfire near Spanish-French border spreads rapidly
A forest fire on the Spanish Mediterranean coast near the border with France was spreading rapidly on Friday, fed by
strong winds and surrounding a popular tourist site.
The blaze in the Portbou area burned around 200 hectares (500 acres) in three hours and could spread over 400 hectares, Catalonia's regional government said in a statement.
The Catalan fire service had ordered people not to leave the village of Colera and the nearby Sant Miquel campsite, according to the region's civil protection service.
The blaze was difficult to extinguish due to the mountainous terrain, senior firefighter Santi Lleonart said in a Catalan government statement.
The wind was making operations harder and the fire had developed multiple fronts that could spread further, while firefighters had not yet managed to reach some isolated pockets, he added.
The seaside town of Portbou, near the Spanish-French border, has a major railway station used by both countries' networks.
The road leading to the site has been closed to private vehicles to facilitate the movement of firefighters tackling the blaze.
Active fires (purple markers) and burnt areas (in red) around Portbou, near the Spanish-French border. Source: European Forest Fire Information System
Every summer Colera sees its 500-strong population boosted by an influx of tourists headed for the Spanish beaches. The Sant Miquel campsite has a capacity of 720, according to Catalan authorities.
Improvised shelters were prepared in Colera for those trapped in the area overnight.
Some 230 firefighters from Spain and France were fighting the blaze and were being backed by air support, said the Catalan government.
But a French water-bombing aircraft sent to the zone was unable to operate because of the strong winds, a French fire services spokesman told AFP.
"For the moment, the fire is confined to Spanish territory," he added.
The Spanish meteorological agency Aemet reported winds in the region of up to 50 kilometres (30 miles) an hour.
Spain is experiencing a less destructive summer in terms of wildfires compared to 2022, when more than 300,000 hectares were devastated by blazes, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
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The blaze in the Portbou area burned around 200 hectares (500 acres) in three hours and could spread over 400 hectares, Catalonia's regional government said in a statement.
The Catalan fire service had ordered people not to leave the village of Colera and the nearby Sant Miquel campsite, according to the region's civil protection service.
The blaze was difficult to extinguish due to the mountainous terrain, senior firefighter Santi Lleonart said in a Catalan government statement.
The wind was making operations harder and the fire had developed multiple fronts that could spread further, while firefighters had not yet managed to reach some isolated pockets, he added.
The seaside town of Portbou, near the Spanish-French border, has a major railway station used by both countries' networks.
The road leading to the site has been closed to private vehicles to facilitate the movement of firefighters tackling the blaze.
Every summer Colera sees its 500-strong population boosted by an influx of tourists headed for the Spanish beaches. The Sant Miquel campsite has a capacity of 720, according to Catalan authorities.
Improvised shelters were prepared in Colera for those trapped in the area overnight.
Some 230 firefighters from Spain and France were fighting the blaze and were being backed by air support, said the Catalan government.
But a French water-bombing aircraft sent to the zone was unable to operate because of the strong winds, a French fire services spokesman told AFP.
"For the moment, the fire is confined to Spanish territory," he added.
The Spanish meteorological agency Aemet reported winds in the region of up to 50 kilometres (30 miles) an hour.
Spain is experiencing a less destructive summer in terms of wildfires compared to 2022, when more than 300,000 hectares were devastated by blazes, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
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