1,300 military personnel to fight forest fires in Spain.
Madrid, April 15 (EFE).
The Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) deployed 1,300 military personnel on Friday in addition to 2,100 personnel providing logistical and command support amid the dozen forest fires sweeping across the country, which have burned over 100,000 hectares.
The UME said on X that they were responding to active fires in northwestern Spain (Ourense, Castilla y León, and Asturias), as well as fires in La Jarilla (Cáceres), Llerena (Badajoz), and Teresa de Cofrentes (Valencia).
This wave of fires has burned nearly 115,000 hectares in just a few days, forcing the closure of 11 roads, including a national highway.
The situation has also led to the suspension of high-speed train services between Madrid and Galicia until further notice.
Ourense (Galicia) and Zamora (Castilla y León) are the provinces most affected.
Spain is facing a very tough fire season similar to that of 2023, when three major heat waves required the participation of all UME military personnel.
The UME has a Military Emergency School where its personnel are trained, especially in firefighting.
In addition to its Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid facilities, the UME has troops spread across five battalions — Zaragoza, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, and León — with 600 soldiers in each. EFE
