Forest fire in northern Spain largely under control

Spanish fire-fighting teams have succeeded in bringing a major forest fire in the north of the country under control.

After heavy winds hampered the work the day before, there were only a few smaller sources of fire, Spanish media reported, citing the responsible authorities.

The flames, which have been blazing since Sunday in the Mena Valley in the west of the Basque Country and in the north of the province of Burgos, have destroyed around 600 hectares of forest and scrubland, the state TV station RTVE reported.

People who had to leave their homes because of the flames had partly been able to return.

Spain has experienced one of the worst years for forest fire in its history.

According to measurements by the European Earth observation system Copernicus, an area of some 300,000 hectares has been destroyed in 435 major fires so far. That is 3,000 square kilometres.