Spain evacuates residents of 12 villages due to forest fire near the Portuguese border

Spanish authorities evacuated residents of 12 villages on Wednesday evening following the outbreak of a major forest fire in a national park on the border with Portugal, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned of an extremely dangerous situation due to wildfires.

The fire broke out near the town of Fermoselle in the Picos de Europa National Park, located in the Castile and León region in the northwest of the country. Authorities also imposed stay-at-home orders on residents of two neighboring villages due to the threat they face, according to the regional government.

Spanish media reported that approximately 950 people had been evacuated from the affected area, including residents of a nursing home in the town of Muga de Sayago, as announced by the Spanish Civil Guard in a post on the X platform.

Sánchez discussed the developments of the wildfires with King Felipe VI during a meeting in Palma de Mallorca, and later told journalists that they also discussed the severe risks of fires igniting as a result of the heatwave.

Sánchez stated that Spain is currently battling 10 wildfires of varying intensity, urging citizens to exercise the utmost caution amid forecasts of a new heatwave continuing until Sunday.