More than a dozen active wildfires in Spain amid unprecedented heat wave

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spanish firefighters are scrambling to control more than a dozen forest fires on Thursday as a heatwave continues to grip most of the country.

The most affected region, for now, is Catalonia. There, six of the eight officially declared forest fires continue to rage.

The worst is in the province of Lleida, where 75 people have been evacuated.

Authorities say the fire has already consumed 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of vegetation but warn that it could affect up to 20,000 hectares (49,421 acres).

The region of Navarra is also facing “uncertain hours” as at least four fires remain active.

On Wednesday, the monks living in the Monastery of Leyre were evacuated as firefighters, including those from the Military Emergencies Unit, try to smother a nearby fire.

Forest fires have also been declared in Granada, Zamora, Ibiza, and Galicia.

An unprecedented heatwave, which began last weekend and is expected to continue through Saturday, is behind Spain's tinderbox conditions.

According to the Spanish meteorology agency AEMET, this is one of the earliest official heatwaves in the country’s history.

It also appears to be the most intense June heatwave on record, according to preliminary AEMET data.

On Thursday, the vast majority of the country remains under a heat advisory.

Parts of Huesca, Catalonia, and Aragon in the northeast, are particularly scorching, as mercury is expected to hit 42 degrees Celcius (108 degrees Fahrenheit).

According to AEMET, around half of Spain is at “extreme risk” for forest fires, with most of the remainder at “high” or “very high” risk on Thursday.

On Friday, the forest fire risk is forecast to get significantly worse.