Wildfires have killed at least 11 people on Spain’s southern coast, local officials said Friday, as residents remain displaced amid concerns that strong gusts of wind could help to spread the blaze.
Emergency Response
Around 150 emergency workers were deployed to battle the forest fire near the town of Los Gallardos on the Costa de Almería – one of Spain’s deadliest on record – where several residents had been evacuated from their homes.
Temperature records have been smashed across Europe this summer as countries are hit by heat waves which are bringing extreme temperatures alarmingly early in the year. Firefighters are battling wildfires in Spain, Portugal and France.
Climate Crisis
Wildfires are not unusual in Europe, but the climate crisis is driving hotter, drier weather, which is setting the stage for fiercer fire seasons.
The current death toll makes the blaze Spain’s deadliest wildfire since 2005, when 11 firefighters were killed in the central province of Guadalajara after a fire was sparked by a barbecue.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
