Hundreds evacuated due to forest fires in southern Spain

 

More than 700 people were evacuated from homes, campsites and hotels due to the threat from a forest fire in southern Spain, emergency services said on Sunday.

Like much of Spain, the area near Huelva is on high alert for forest fires because of a heat wave. Last week, 63 people died in a forest fire in neighboring Portugal.The blaze in southern Spain was detected on Saturday night in the Moguer area near Huelva and is being treated as a level 1 - or maximum threat - by emergency services.

By 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday emergency services had deployed 11 planes, 10 helicopters and dozens of land vehicles against the flames in a joint military-civilian operation.

Around 750 people were in local rescue centers, according to the emergency services. Some residents had already been allowed to return to their properties.

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