Forest fires in northwestern Spain fueled by scorching temperatures and strong winds, resulted in the evacuation of more than 1,000 people on Sunday and threaten a site classified by UNESCO, the authorities said.
Some 400 people were moved to and around the city of Carucedo and 700 others from several localities located near the Las Médulas site, an old Roman gold extraction area known for its spectacular red rocks and listed as World Heritage.
According to the head of regional government of Castille-et-León, Alfonso Manueco, several of these fires are of criminal origin. “We will be relentless with the authors of these attacks against life and security of people and against our historical and natural heritage,” he wrote on X.
Forest fires have also struck the regions of Galicia (northwest) and Navarre (north).
Spain undergoes a heat wave that enters its second week, with temperatures reaching almost 40 ° C in many regions, and this heat wave should last at least until Thursday.
Civil protection has issued a forest fire alert in a large part of the country, with high risk to extreme.
