Spain's Aragon sends 'largest deployment' against wildfire
Spain's Aragon region deployed what authorities called the largest firefighting arsenal in its history on Sunday as French reinforcements were due to help contain a wildfire that has threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery.
The Aragon region in northeastern Spain has mobilized its largest-ever firefighting force to combat a wildfire threatening a 1,000-year-old monastery. The blaze erupted on Monday and has been making its way towards the historic San Juan de la Pena monastery, a site steeped in legends and historical significance. The region's oldest monastery, believed to contain the remains of the first medieval Aragon kings, was saved just on Thursday.
Unpredictable winds and soaring temperatures over the past week have driven the flames across 16,600 hectares, forcing the evacuation of over 1,000 residents from nearby villages. On Sunday, authorities reported a day of productive work as firefighters managed to establish a substantial part of the fire perimeter. Reinforcements from France and Spain are on standby, bringing the total number of firefighters to 1,000—the highest deployment for a single fire in Aragon's history, according to regional leader Jorge Azcon.
"We're facing the day with optimism, but also with total caution," Azcon stated on X. Meanwhile, in the southern region of Andalusia, authorities have allowed hundreds of evacuees to return home after a wildfire that has raged for 10 days and scorched more than 25,000 hectares was brought under control on Sunday. Spain, like many of its European counterparts, has experienced several episodes of extreme summer heat, which provides favorable conditions for wildfires.
Scientists attribute this trend to climate change, caused by human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
In late July, a wildfire just a few dozen kilometers west of Madrid became the largest in Spain's recent history, prompting a national emergency.
Written by urgent.news from The Local Spain's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
