Fire threatening Spanish tourist hotspot partly contained

MADRID: Spanish firefighters said Saturday that a wildfire threatening the Costa Brava coast has devoured a huge area of trees and bush and forced the evacuation of 150 tourists from a camp.

The fire broke out Friday outside the northeastern municipality of La Bisbal d’Emporda, near a picturesque coastline usually full of holidaymakers this time of year.

It has reduced around 2,200 hectares of forest to ash, the regional fire service said in a statement. However, they have controlled more than two thirds of the blaze.

Hundreds of firefighters worked through the night and “have stabilised around 70% of the right flank of the fire”.

“Now the objective is to consolidate before the winds change, which is forecast for midday,” it added.

No injuries have been reported.

Catalonia’s regional emergency services said around 150 people had been evacuated, including about 70 children, from a holiday camp.

Spain is on the front line of climate change, which scientists say increases the intensity, frequency and duration of the extreme heat that fuels wildfires.

Deadly wildfires devoured almost 400,000 hectares of land last year, the highest figure recorded for the country by the European Forest Fire Information System.