Spaniards are rushing to buy specialized glasses to view a rare total solar eclipse, as authorities warn people to avoid anything that could spark new wildfires. The eclipse will be visible in northern and central Spain, and is expected to draw at least an additional half a million visitors.

Public Safety Campaign

Spanish authorities have rolled out a large public safety campaign ahead of the eclipse, with totality expected to last less than 2 1/2 minutes. The Interior Ministry has set up 350 official viewing sites across the country’s sparsely populated interior, and has limited or restricted access to another 123 sites due to environmental conditions or obstacles that could hinder an evacuation in the event of a wildfire.

More than 33,500 law enforcement officers will be deployed to observation areas and access points, and authorities are urging visitors not to light fires, litter or park in areas with dry vegetation. Special eclipse glasses are essential for safe viewing, even if only a sliver of the sun remains visible.

Eclipse Glasses

For months, supermarkets, department stores, museums and planetariums across Spain have sold or distributed eclipse glasses, with many pharmacies running out of stock ahead of the eclipse. The glasses are made with special filters that block solar radiation that can damage the eyes.

Rooms in Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital, were averaging more than $1,000 for Wednesday night as Icelanders prepared for their first total solar eclipse since 1954. Hotel demand along the eclipse’s path of totality in Spain has also soared.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.