MADRID: Firefighters battled a wildfire Wednesday near the southern Spanish tourist town of Tarifa, where more than 1,500 people had to be evacuated as shifting winds hampered efforts to control the blaze.
Although fire crews managed to secure areas near hotels and tourist accommodation, the fire remained active and uncontained, said officials.
“What concerns us most right now is the wind — whether it shifts between the west and east,” said Antonio Sanz, interior minister for Andalusia’s regional government.
The wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon near La Pena, a wooded area close to a beach just outside Tarifa. The town of about 19,000 residents on Spain’s southernmost coast, is known for its strong winds, which draw kite- and windsurfers.
Spanish public broadcaster TVE reported that the fire had started in a camper van at a local campsite, with strong winds spreading the blaze quickly.
