PALACIOS DE JAMUZ, Spain: Raging wildfires in Spain spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountain range on Monday (Aug 18) and authorities closed part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
About 20 wildfires, fuelled by a severe 16-day heatwave, have devastated more than 115,000ha in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon over the past week.
“This is a fire situation we haven’t experienced in 20 years,” Defence Minister Margarita Robles told radio station Cadena SER. “The fires have special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heatwave.”
She said thick smoke was affecting the work of water-carrying helicopters and aircraft.
The Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters.
Highways and rail services have been cut in the area, as well as the “Camino de Santiago” hiking route, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer.
It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the Western tip of Spain, where the remains of the apostle St James are said to be buried.
Authorities in the Castile and Leon region have closed the path in the area between the towns of Astorga and Ponferrada, which are about 50km apart, and told hikers “not to put (their) lives in danger”.
