The nightmare of summer fires returns to shake Spain from north to south. In Madrid, the death of a 50 -year -old is crying, while over 5,000 people have been evacuated in the last 48 hours with hundreds of firefighters and soldiers engaged on multiple fronts.
The country is immersed in an intense heat wave that seems to have no end: in the last hours, in different provinces of the center-south, the maximum temperatures have exceeded 44-45 degrees. The weather alert situation could continue until August 18th. Since the beginning of summer, according to a preliminary estimate, over 1,700 people could have died from causes related to high temperatures.
The area most affected by the bonfires in the last few days is the North-West. In Galicia, the active cases are at least 12. In Oimbra (Province of Ourense) two firefighters were injured, while in Chandrexa de Queixa the flames run in what is so far the worst fire of the year in the region, with over 3,500 hectares of burnt ground.
The nearby Castile also seriously affected. In the province of León we work to save the natural treasures of Las Medulas, UNESCO heritage. In the Zamora area, at least 2,500 people were evacuated due to another fire.
The most serious episode was recorded in Tres Cantos, at the gates of Madrid, where a mechanic died after being surprised by the flames in a handling of horses and burned all over the body. Near Tarifa, in Andalusia, panic scenes were experienced on Monday: the fire threatened an area of hotels and beaches, forcing hundreds of people to flee by car.
The authorities suspect that many fires are of malicious origin. So far two arrests have been made.