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Firefighters from Asturias work on the fire in the council areas of Valdés and Tineo. E.P. / Video: Atlas

Arsonists blamed as more than a hundred fires devastate Spain's Asturias region

The UME emergency military unit has reinforced its presence in the area – which remains on high alert

Ch. Tuya / M. Agra/ R. Muñiz

Friday, 31 March 2023, 13:14

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Spain's Asturias region is burning for the ninth consecutive day with houses razed to the ground by the flames. As of 10am this Friday morning (31 March) there were 121 active forest fires with towns surrounded by tongues of flames.

Emergency services have evacuated 375 people from their homes, some when they were in their bed, others were forced out because they did not want to leave their belongings and livestock behind. Of those who had to leave in a hurry were 65 residents of Fitoria, in the heart of Oviedo, who were besieged at night by the flames.

"The situation continues to be dramatic," said the government delegate, Delia Losa. She said that President Pedro Sánchez had called the President of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, to offer more resources. Asturias "is isolated from Galicia," she said referring to the road and rail closures due to the fires.

The closures left those affected unable to reach their destination, with travellers forced to turn back or spend the night in their vehicles. In the Novellana service area, all those using the Cantabrian motorway were trapped from 8.30pm on Thursday evening.

"We are in a bad way, we have outbreaks of fire everywhere, the firemen are doing what they can, but the weather is not giving any respite and neither are the arsonists. The situation last night was dramatic, the firemen told us about fires with no logical pattern," said the Mayor of Valdés, Óscar Pérez, speaking on Spanish national television station TVE.

"The damage is enormous not only in the mountains, but also near residential areas. We don't know when the end will come. I have a mixture of concern and anger. The council of Valdés has been the victim of an environmental terrorist attack," he added.

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