Fires in Spanish holiday spot cause thousands to be evacuated
PA
More than three thousand people have been evacuated from one of Spain's most popular holiday areas as two forest fires continue to wreak havoc.
Around 45,000 hectares of land around Valencia on the east coast have so far been destroyed in what are already being labelled as the worst forest fires in more than 20 years.
Getty
Smoke and ash from the fires have reached the city of Valencia, Spain's third biggest city, and residents and holidaymakers have reported breathing problems. Locals and tourists have been evacuated from many of the surrounding areas.
NASA /Jeff Schmaltz Lance Modis Rapid Response
Nasa has released images showing some of the country's most popular beaches submerged in black clouds of smoke for more than 100km up the coast. One of the worst-hit regions is the Costa Blanca. Beaches including those around Sagunto, Almarda and Barri Mar are just some of those that have been affected.
Getty
A preliminary investigation suggests that one of the fires was started accidentally by workers in the hills around Valencia, while the other was started by agricultural burning that went out of control.
To make matters worse, there have been reports that two helicopters that were helping to extinguish the fires have crashed in separate incidents. One pilot is believed to have been killed.
Getty
Temperatures of almost 40C have been experienced in recent days in the area, putting the authorities on maximum alert for forest fires.
The city's airport remains open.
Getty
