Around 1,500 evacuated due to 'extremely violent' wildfire in Spain's Zaragoza

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – A wildfire in the Spanish province of Zaragoza triggered the evacuation of some 1,500 residents on Saturday and Sunday, while hundreds more are on standby to leave their homes.

As of Sunday evening, authorities were most worried that the fire would jump into the Moncayo Natural Park, which is full of combustible vegetation and unique biodiversity.

“I can only say this is a critical situation,” Javier Lamban, president of the regional government, told reporters.

The fire has a radius of around 50 kilometers (31 miles) and has already scorched an estimated 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) of land and forest since Saturday.

Strong wind gusts of up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour) have complicated the situation.

“Overnight, the behavior of the fire was extremely violent, something we aren’t used to,” said Diego Bayona, head of the region’s environmental agency

Meteorologists expect winds will pick up on Sunday night, making conditions harder for the more than 300 firefighters battling the blaze.

Local residents reported that flames have already touched the walls of the Veruela Monastery, which was evacuated on Saturday.

Also in the area is the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, home to the Ecce Homo fresco that was made famous by a botched restoration by an amateur artist.

Further south in Spain, another wildfire is burning out of control in Vall d’Ebo in Alicante.

Around 1,000 people have been forced to evacuate the area and the blaze has consumed an estimated 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres).

The dry and hot weather that has defined Spain’s summer so far has given rise to what is set to be the worst wildfire season since at least 1994.