Forest fire out of control in central Spain

A forest fire in central Spain has burned about 2,500 hectares and remains out of control on Wednesday, and 1,500 people have been warned not to leave their homes because of the smoke, reported Xinhua.

Spanish public television reported that the fire began at noon on Tuesday in the town of La Estrella, in the province of Toledo, after an accident involving two vehicles.

As many as 160 workers are in the area attempting to extinguish the flames, assisted by troops from the Military Emergency Unit (UME).

The fire is spreading towards neighboring Extremadura due to the nature of the terrain, which is broom and scrubland, and gusts of wind.

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) announced on Wednesday that the fourth heatwave of the summer will begin next Friday and last until Sunday or Monday.

Extreme temperatures not seen in Spain for more than 30 years are expected this summer, AEMET warned.

In July, Spain recorded 771 deaths due to extreme temperatures, 85 more than in the same month last year, according to the public Institute of Health Carlos III.

Last winter was the warmest in the country since 1961, at 1.9 degrees above average.

Spain is heavily affected by forest fires every summer. On average, some 17,000 forest fires occur, most of them smaller than 1 hectare, affecting some 114,000 hectares of forest area.