Two major wildfires remain active in north-eastern and central Spain, with emergency services focusing on a blaze near La Mierla in Guadalajara province and another near Orés in Zaragoza province. Together, they are already among the country’s most destructive fires this year.
The fire near La Mierla, around 100 kilometres north-east of Madrid, began on Thursday and has burned almost 13,000 hectares, according to the latest official figures.
During the early hours of Sunday, firefighters concentrated on two areas. Crews directly attacked the southern edge of the blaze near Gascueña de Bornova, while others worked to protect the villages of Navas de Jadraque and Bustares.
Authorities have now evacuated 16 villages and surrounding areas, including communities near the Beleña reservoir.
Officials in the Castilla-La Mancha region said the fire was displaying extreme behaviour, driven by strong south-westerly winds. They said the flames were advancing at more than 60 metres per minute, well above the level at which a wildfire is considered difficult to bring under control.
