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A wildfire that broke out on Monday in the Huelva municipality of Villanueva de los Castillejos has now burned through more than 5,000 hectares, forcing the evacuation of around 100 people and prompting the deployment of the Military Emergency Unit (UME). But after a tense Wednesday in which firefighters braced for a potentially dangerous wind shift, the day ended with cautiously encouraging news.

 

Speaking at the Advanced Command Post in San Bartolomé de la Torre on Wednesday evening, acting Minister of Health, Presidency and Emergencies Antonio Sanz said the situation had taken a more positive turn. "The preparatory work has been effective and the results are proving positive," he said. "The situation allows us to face the night with a high degree of optimism and speak of a very favourable evolution of the fire, always exercising the caution required by an emergency of this nature."

 

Much of Wednesday's anxiety had centred on a forecast wind change that threatened to reverse the fire's direction, potentially turning the tail into the head and pushing flames towards higher ground and populated areas.

 

In the end, the wind shift arrived later than expected and with less force than feared, which Sanz described as "a new window of opportunity." Firefighters focused efforts on the northern sector of the blaze, the most exposed area, and managed to slow its advance.

 

By Thursday, southerly winds are expected to increase ambient humidity, which should further help bring the fire under control.

 

More than 400 personnel were on the ground throughout Wednesday, supported by over 25 aircraft including three FOCA seaplanes and UME units equipped with bulldozers, drones and specialist fire-prevention machinery. The 96 people who remain displaced from their homes are currently staying with relatives or in second homes, meaning the municipal sports centres set up as emergency shelters are now empty.

 

On the question of how the fire started, Government Delegate in Andalucía Pedro Fernández said the Guardia Civil investigation through its Seprona unit is "very advanced" and that investigators have already ruled out deliberate intent. "We shouldn't think that someone is intentionally trying to damage our forests and the surrounding communities. That possibility has been ruled out so far," he said.

 

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also weighed in on Wednesday, posting his solidarity with evacuated residents on social media. "The fire continues to advance in Huelva, leaving thousands of hectares devastated by the flames. My deepest gratitude goes to the professionals who are working tirelessly to fight the fire," he wrote.

 

The three affected municipalities, Villanueva de los Castillejos, San Bartolomé de la Torre and Gibraleón, plan to formally request that the central government declare the area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, a status that would unlock additional support for residents and businesses that have lost land to the fire.

 

 

Video and Image: Ministerio de Defensa