FIREFIGHTERS in Spain have been battling a blaze which has ripped through 30,000 acres of land near a hidden gem holiday spot.
More than a thousand people have been forced to flee their homes in after a devastating wildfire engulfed the region.
Hellish red skies in northeast Spain as fires rip across forests and fields Credit: AFP
The military has been called in to help tackle the blaze Credit: AFP
On Friday the fire doubled in size to burn down a whopping 30,000 acres Credit: AFP
White-hot fires snake across northeastern Spain Credit: AFP
Horrifying footage shows streams of red-hot flames burning across huge expanses of land as apocalyptic orange smoke chokes the skies.
It is the biggest fire the country has seen this year after burning down an area the size of Manchester.
The blaze is one of three active wildfires across the country – with two more raging in Guadalajara and Madrid.
But the biggest inferno is burning in a pine forest in Cerro de Cinco Villas, near the housing developments of Los Robles and San Lorenzo.
Around 400 emergency responders and 19 aircrafts raced to the scene to battle the flames.
The fire broke out on Wednesday before doubling in size to scorch 30,000 acres on Friday, said authorities.
They added that the blaze remains “fairly active”.
The inferno has forced the evacuation of 1,100 residents from the villages of Orés, Asín, Luesia, Malpica de Arba and Uncastillo in Zaragoza, and Petilla de Aragón in neighbouring Navarra.
Hellish red flames line the peaks of the hillsides as firefighters try to battle the inferno Credit: AFP
An area the size of Manchester has been scorched in the multi-day blaze Credit: AFP
A local sports centre has been transformed into a shelter for the fleeing locals and the military has been called in to support.
On Thursday, the Civil Guard arrested a man suspected of having started the fire.
he had been spotted running from the break-out point of the fire and in his backpack were several flammable items.
Police have confirmed that he has a criminal record for arson attacks in other parts of Spain.
Regional Environment, Agriculture and Interior Minister Carlos Novillo said the suspect was “a heartless individual who started a major fire and put lives in danger”.
In Guadalajara, the wildfire burned through more than 2,200 acres in just a few hours.
Around 100 firefighters were deployed to fight the flames – and residents of the small towns of La Mierla, Muriel and Umbralejo were forced to flee their homes.
And in Madrid, a wildfire fire burnt down 170 acres of land and forced the evacuation of 50 children from a nearby summer camp.
It comes after a deadly wildfire in Almeria, southern Spain claimed the lives of last week.
The deadly inferno ripped through expat hotspots in Almeria –
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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