Spain grapples with forest fire and floods at the same time

A forest fire in eastern Spain led to the evacuation of roughly 1,000 people on Saturday. The blaze is burning near the inland village of Gatova, which has a population of 450, northwest of Valencia. Television footage showed flames approaching built-up areas, and Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME) shared video of firefighters battling the flames at night. Several helicopters and aircraft were deployed to help contain the fire.

Local media reported the fire is believed to have started from a lightning strike late Thursday. By Friday evening, more than 400 hectares had already burned. Juan Carlos Valderrama, Valencia's civil protection minister, said buses were kept on standby to help residents without vehicles leave the area.

Flooding hits nearby coast

Meanwhile, about 150 kilometers away on Catalonia's Costa Dorada coast, overnight heavy rain flooded streets and caused two walls to collapse, injuring at least seven people. Local reports said streets were partially submerged in the coastal towns of El Vendrell, Coma-ruga and Torredembarra. Catalonia's meteorological service recorded nearly 200 liters of rain per square meter in some towns within just a few hours, and warned Saturday morning of further heavy rainfall along the coast.

Several people became trapped in their vehicles during the flooding, and regional emergency services carried out more than 200 rescue missions from cars and flooded buildings. A wall collapse at the port of Roda de Bera, roughly 75 kilometers southwest of Barcelona, injured three people, while another wall collapse at a nearby campsite injured two more. About 300 people staying at that campsite were evacuated, with many taking shelter at a nearby sports center.