Spanish towns evacuated as intentional wildfire tears through western part of country

400 Spanish firefighters are battling to control the fire

Some 700 people were evacuated from four small towns in western Spain owing to a wildfire fanned by strong winds that has razed some 20,000 acres, officials said Friday.

More than 400 firefighters, including 50 agents from the army’s Military Emergency Unit, are battling to bring the fire under control in Las Hurdes, a hilly area west of Madrid.

Officials suspect the fire, which began Wednesday night, was started intentionally as they say two separate blazes erupted almost simultaneously.

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The president of the surrounding region of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, said the person responsible "knew very well what they were doing" to cause the most damage by starting the blaze at night, making it more difficult to extinguish.

Many wildfires in Spain are believed by police and officials to be started intentionally. The reasons why are said to vary.

Two firefighters are shown during a wildfire on May 19, 2023, in Extremadura, Spain. Over 700 people were evacuated from four small towns due to the fires. (Gustavo Valiente/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Fernández Vara said the problem Friday was not a lack of means to fight the blaze, but the winds.

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"With 40 mph winds, it's difficult to predict how it will evolve," he told reporters, adding that the pine trees in the area were virtual "cans of gasoline, flame throwers,"

Some 666,000 acres burned last year in Spain, making 2022 its worst year of fire destruction since 1994, government statistics say. That was three times the national average for the past decade.

According to the European Union’s Copernicus satellite observation service, Spain accounted for 35% of all burnt land in European wildfires last year.

Spain recorded its hottest and driest April ever last month and nearly 30% of the country is now in a drought "emergency" or "alert."