Almost 140 people have been brought to safety because of a forest fire in Catalonia in northeastern Spain. The evacuations during the night included a campsite in the Garbet area, not far from Portbou and the French border, according to the region’s fire department and civil defense.
According to the authorities, the fire that broke out on Friday had destroyed around 430 hectares by early Saturday afternoon. That corresponds to an area of more than 600 soccer fields.
A good 4,000 people had no power supply on Saturday morning because of the fire, the Catalan civil defense reported. Train traffic between Figueres and Portbou was suspended on Saturday, and the N-60 road was closed.
According to official information, the fire was fought by 92 ground and six air units of the fire brigade. There is also support from France, among other things, it said. Because of the rugged terrain and strong winds, it is not easy to bring the flames under control.
