A withering, windblown wildfire that had scorched southern Spain this week and driven more than 1,500 people to evacuate the town of Tarifa calmed down on Friday early, thanks to firefighters who managed to contain it, officials said.
The fire started Tuesday in La Pe Aa, a forested region just off a beach near Tarifa. The town is well known to have strong winds, which attract windsurfing spectators from all over the world, hence contributing to the higher rate of spread of the fire towards the town. According to authorities, the fires had their origins in a camper van parked in a campsite and swept through the vegetation rapidly in gusty winds.
Overall, approximately 1,550 individuals and up to 5,000 vehicles were evacuated out of campsites, hotels, and residential places due to precaution. By Wednesday, residents and tourists had been cleared to go back to their places of residence in the area as the fire was officially declared to be stabilised.
Even though immediate danger is over, firefighter teams will be staying in the region during the following days to guard the situation and fire borders, as well as exclude possible fires, as the regional fire-fighting organisation Infoca announced on X (previously Twitter).
It is the latest in a series of heat waves that Spain has been experiencing, with temperatures running high, nearly to 40 °C (104 °F) in most parts of the country. The heatwave is expected to persist and last until at least Wednesday, increasing fears of wildfire.
Civil protection agencies have put out alerts of a high to extreme wildfire danger across much of the country and urged residents and tourists to staff precaution. The skyrocketing Tarifa wildfire is a stark reminder of how fuel can put itself ablaze in conditions of hot and dry weather and winnowing winds, particularly in a country that is prone to eruptions during summer.
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