Hundreds evacuated as wildfire rages in Spain
by AFP Staff Writers
Madrid (AFP) Nov 3, 2023
A wind-fuelled wildfire raged in eastern Spain on Friday and hundreds of people were evacuated, local authorities said.

About 200 firefighters backed by three water bombing planes were battling the blaze, which erupted on Thursday near the village of Montichelvo in the coastal region of Valencia, emergency services said.

The blaze has forced the evacuation of between 800 and 850 people and has affected up to 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres), it added.

Wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) an hour were hampering efforts to battle the blaze, officials said.

The regional government of Valencia advised people to stay home and avoid areas with trees and construction sites if they had to go outside.

Spain was lashed by strong winds on Thursday as Storm Cieran battered Western Europe, causing at least 10 deaths including that of a 23-year-old woman who was fatally struck by a tree that toppled in Madrid.

ds/ach

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