Spain’s largest wildfire burns 12,000 hectares, forces mass evacuations

Spain’s largest wildfire of the year has burned around 12,000 hectares in the northeastern province of Zaragoza, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,100 people as firefighters continue battling the blaze, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE on Friday.

Authorities said the fire, which broke out Wednesday in the Cinco Villas region, remained “quite active,” with “significant” spread overnight into Friday.

It has forced the evacuation of five municipalities in Zaragoza and one in the neighbouring region of Navarre.

The fire has spread across a perimeter of around 60 kilometres, while several roads remain closed. Electricity has been restored to all affected towns.

Around 400 ground personnel and 19 aircraft were deployed to battle the fire on Thursday, with firefighters focusing overnight on protecting homes in Uncastillo.

Elsewhere, a wildfire in La Mierla in the northern province of Guadalajara also remained active after burning around 900 hectares, prompting evacuations and lockdown measures in nearby communities.

Military emergency unit deployed