Spain Wildfire Rages Out of Control, Burns Over 1,000 Hectares

ZARAGOZA, Spain – A wildfire in Leciñena, in the Monegros region of northern Spain, has burned more than 1,000 hectares of pine forest in just a few hours. Officials say they are "not optimistic" about containing it. The fire started Tuesday afternoon in a mountainous area. Strong winds quickly drove the flames out of control. The burned area is already double the size of a recent fire in La Litera last week. "We are not optimistic at all," said Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, the regional minister for Finance and Interior. He described the situation as "very serious" from the start, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius and high winds. Air support was pulled back after dark. Ground crews remain active. The flames are moving toward the town of Robres, but no evacuations have been ordered yet. Most of the burned land is in the Sierra de Alcubierre. The regional government activated its highest emergency plan, level 2, on Tuesday afternoon. This brought in Spain's Military Emergencies Unit (UME). The main goal now is to stop the fire from spreading into the province of Huesca. Firefighters face strong winds, especially in the mountains. The wind, known locally as the cierzo, is expected to pick up again on Wednesday, with gusts over 70 kilometers per hour. Higher temperatures and lower humidity will make conditions even harder. "We expect a very tough day of firefighting," Bermúdez de Castro said. A massive response is underway. Around 250 personnel are on the ground, including crews from the regional Infoar fire service, the national BRIF firefighting unit, and the UME. They are using helicopters, planes, bulldozers, and dozens of fire trucks. Local governments and volunteers are also helping. Officials have closed the A-129 road between Leciñena and Alcubierre. In some places, the fire is close to crossing the road. The vice president of the Aragon region, Mar Vaquero, said one possible cause of the fire is a harvesting machine, but this has not been confirmed. She warned that Aragon faces a "hard" summer ahead, following a recent fire in Tamarite de Litera.