Nearly 1,000 evacuated as Storm Ciaran fans wildfire in Spain’s Valencia

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Strong winds from Storm Ciaran continue to fuel an aggressive wildfire in the Spanish region of Valencia on Friday.

The fast-moving flames have forced around 950 people in several nearby towns to evacuate their homes, police said Friday afternoon. Six local schools had to suspend classes.

The flames have already scorched at least 2,000 hectares (5,950 acres) around the municipality of Montitxelvo, according to Valencian President Carlos Mazon Guixot.

“Yesterday, at 2 p.m., we detected the first flames. But the wind has acted like gunpowder and is fueling all of this,” he said, warning people to stay away from the area due to the fire’s unpredictability.

Hours later, the Valencian councilor of justice, Elisa Nunez, told reporters that the fire remained out of control.

As of Friday afternoon, Valencia was still under orange alert for strong winds. These winds, Nunez explained, have prevented some airplanes from joining the battle against the blaze.

Videos of the fire show thick billows of smoke near well-paved roads. Hundreds more people have been told to stay indoors due to the risk of smoke inhalation.

The storm’s winds on Thursday were strong enough to uproot trees and cause major disruptions across large parts of the country.

Falling trees from the storm’s strong winds also killed people in France, Belgium, and Germany, while flooding in Italy killed at least five.

As Ciaran leaves Spain, the country’s meteorological agency warned that another powerful storm named Domingos is close behind.

By Saturday, the wind warnings in Valencia will lift, but on Sunday parts of the region will be under yellow alert for strong winds yet again.