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Hundreds evacuated from popular Spanish resort as crews battle wildfire

Officials suspect the fire was started deliberately.

Associated Press Associated Press

MORE THAN 1,000 people have been evacuated from a popular tourists resort on Spain’s Costa Blanca after a wildfire fuelled by intense heat roared through brush surrounding it.

Some 300 firefighters backed by 20 water-dropping aircraft were battling the blaze, which broke out yesterday near the Mediterranean resort of Javea, a local emergency services official said. Officials suspect the fire was started deliberately.

Officials evacuated over 1,000 people late on Sunday from Javea and the resort of Benitatxell near Benidorm, popular with British and German tourists, due to the threat from the flames.

Alberto Saiz / AP Alberto Saiz / AP / AP

They were put up in schools. Residents of Javea also offered to put up evacuees for the night and gave them food and water, Javea city councillor Maria del Pilar Zamora told private television Antena 3.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed flames raging near built up areas. Several homes were completely destroyed by the fire, according to Antena 3.

Among those who posted photos of the blaze was BBC host Chris Stark, who was on vacation in the area.

“This is crazy. I think my car and maybe my apartment is on fire,” he tweeted  yesterday.

Alberto Saiz / AP Alberto Saiz / AP / AP

Firefighters said the blaze was fuelled by scorching temperatures and low humidity levels.

Most of Spain faced an “extreme risk” of wildfires today due to the heat, with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius in some parts.

Spain routinely suffers wildfires during the hot summer months, but there have been fewer large blazes in 2016 than in recent years.

There were just 13 wildfires that destroyed over 500 hectares of land between 1 January  and 28 August, according to a tally kept by the agriculture ministry.

- © AFP 2016.

Read:Dry cleaners gutted after dramatic blaze in Galway city>

Read: Oberstown management calls on staff to defer further strike action following disturbances>

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    May 14th 2017, 7:15 PM

    Brilliant show. He highlights some genuinely big issues that other networks shy away from.

    I so want to be a traffic safety zebra…..

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    May 14th 2017, 8:32 PM
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    May 14th 2017, 7:06 PM

    Bit late with this, Journal. Last weeks news.

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    May 14th 2017, 7:34 PM

    @Negan: Last Week’s News Tonight

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    May 14th 2017, 7:08 PM

    Oliver is brilliantly a new bread of comidians that make the best political commentators. I guess that only works when our politician’s are a joke.

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    May 14th 2017, 7:58 PM

    @Cathal Leonard: Mmm comidian bread

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    May 14th 2017, 11:10 PM

    @Daniel Wilson: ok he’s a bagel

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    May 14th 2017, 7:44 PM

    Love John Oliver.

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    May 14th 2017, 7:06 PM

    John Oliver is annoying and his show isnt funny but he makes good points and he tends to make interesting points

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    May 14th 2017, 8:56 PM

    @Elle Belle: it’s a live studio audience

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    May 14th 2017, 9:39 PM

    @Elle Belle: Is it because he pro choice and that hurts your fweelings ?

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    May 14th 2017, 10:17 PM

    @Elle Belle: that’s not what a laugh track is.

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    May 14th 2017, 7:50 PM

    The new name of the Internet is to be “Trumpnet”

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    May 15th 2017, 8:29 AM

    At 9.42 Eastern time on October 12th 2017 Trumpnet became self aware…

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    May 14th 2017, 8:06 PM

    An accent like a dentist’s drill.

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    May 14th 2017, 9:13 PM

    @Jack Cassady: i like the dentist drill ! :)

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    May 15th 2017, 12:38 AM

    Ajit is an unfortunate name. Try saying it with an Irish accent…..

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