SANCHEZ: DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD

MADRID, JULY 28 /SRNA/ - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the coming days would be particularly challenging as further rises in temperature would make firefighting efforts more difficult and increase the risk of wildfires.

At a press conference, Sanchez stressed that a state of emergency had been declared in all areas affected by the fires, adding that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but that vigilance must not be relaxed as another heatwave was approaching. He said that the Government would continue its efforts until the last flame had been extinguished and that aid had already begun to be distributed to help mitigate the damage. Sanchez expressed particular gratitude to emergency services and mentioned those who had lost their homes and loved ones. “There are currently eight major wildfires burning in Spain,” he said. Over the past week, firefighters have been battling a series of wildfires that have ravaged rural areas of Spain, threatening dozens of communities and forcing more than 70,000 people to evacuate. The Madrid region is currently under a red weather alert, with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas and 38 degrees in other parts of the region. The government in Madrid previously said that the fire “remains active and out of control”. “Today’s efforts will focus on monitoring and cooling the affected areas in anticipation of the forecast deterioration in weather conditions,” the statement added. So far, around 77,000 hectares of land have been burned in wildfires across Spain. The wildfire in the Ávila area was the largest in the country’s recent history.