Almost 13 thousand hectares of vegetation have been completely burned in the large-scale fires triggered by the heatwave in Spain. Thousands of people have been evacuated due to the danger, and the authorities in Madrid have mobilized additional firefighter units and tanker aircraft, reports IPN.

The most severe fire was reported in the town of Cinco Villas in the province of Zaragoza, where 12 thousand hectares of vegetation were burned. Over 1,100 people from six localities were evacuated due to the rapidly advancing flames. The Civil Guard arrested a man suspected of having started the fire. At the time of his arrest, he had several flammable items on him. Moreover, the suspect has a history of arson.

Another fire, which destroyed over 900 hectares of forest in just a few hours, led to the evacuation of residents from three other localities. The third active outbreak is north of Madrid, where 70 hectares of vegetation have burned. The Civil Guard evacuated 50 children from a summer camp, and traffic on the A1 highway was temporarily restricted.

The scorching temperatures of this summer have favored the appearance of several outbreaks in different areas of Spain. On July 9, a devastating fire resulted in 13 deaths and 7,000 hectares of vegetation destroyed in the province of Andalusia.