The enormous wildfire raging through Huelva has become one of the most devastating to hit Andalucia in recent years, with more than 8,000 hectares affected and 474 people forced from their homes.
The Niebla fire remained uncontrolled heading into Monday after several days of difficult conditions, with authorities describing the blaze as ‘unpredictable, dangerous and complex’.
Hundreds of firefighters and emergency personnel have been battling to prevent the flames from reaching populated areas and crossing from Huelva into neighbouring Sevilla province.
While already among the largest recent fires in Andalucia by area, Niebla remains well below the region’s biggest wildfire of the 21st century.
That was the Minas de Riotinto fire of 2004, which affected almost 35,000 hectares and killed two people who died inside their vehicle.
Meanwhile, the Los Gallardos wildfire in Almeria last month remains the most deadly in recent years, after claiming 14 lives.
Sierra Bermeja changed everything
Another of Andalucia’s most significant modern wildfires erupted in Sierra Bermeja in Malaga province in 2021.
It was described as Spain’s first major ‘sixth-generation’ wildfire because of its extreme behaviour.
The blaze generated powerful pyrocumulus clouds and effectively created its own weather conditions, making it impossible for firefighters to directly attack parts of the fire for days.
A 44-year-old forest firefighter was killed while working on the frontline near Estepona.
Another enormous blaze struck Las Peñuelas-Moguer in 2017, affecting 10,340 hectares.
Of those, 8,486 hectares were considered high-value forest, with around 80% lying within the protected Doñana natural area.
There were no fatalities, but the fire became one of the most serious environmental emergencies to hit the region that decade.
Niebla fire remains out of control
The current Huelva wildfire has grown dramatically since it broke out last Thursday.
Friday night and Saturday proved particularly difficult as changing winds and low humidity helped drive the flames across a growing area.
By Sunday night, operational level 2 of Andalucia’s forest fire emergency plan remained activated.
A massive operation involving 605 professionals, 178 material resources and as many as 26 aircraft has been deployed.
Crews have concentrated on two major defensive lines.
One has been established along the northern section of the fire to prevent it advancing towards evacuated communities.
The second is on the left bank of the Tinto river and is designed to prevent the fire moving east towards Pata del Caballo and eventually crossing into Sevilla province.
‘Unpredictable, dangerous and complex’
Andalucia’s Emergencies Minister Antonio Sanz said the immediate objective overnight into Monday was to consolidate the northern defensive line.
If successful, crews could then concentrate more resources on the eastern flank.
But Sanz warned there was still enormous uncertainty over how the fire would behave.
‘We are confident that we can make progress, but in this type of fire you lose any certainty about what might happen,’ he said.
‘There are so many changes in the wind, so many circumstances that cause secondary outbreaks and such complex convective phenomena that can distort the behaviour of the fire that it becomes an unpredictable scenario.’
He added that despite hopes of making progress, authorities remained prepared for the situation to deteriorate.
‘We are aware that it is so difficult, so complex, so hard and dangerous that, logically, we have to be prepared for any situation.’
Hundreds remain evacuated
A total of 474 people remained unable to return to their homes on Sunday.
The largest evacuation involved 283 residents of Berrocal, while 73 people were displaced from El Pozuelo.
Another 42 were evacuated from La Florida, Las Arenas and nearby greenhouse areas, 21 from Raboconejo and Caballon, 20 from Membrillo Alto and 14 from Marigenta.
Others have been evacuated from Tumbalejo and Las Arenas, while another seven people were ordered to leave on Sunday morning.
Niebla and Valverde del Camino remain the two municipalities most heavily affected.
A Red Cross reception centre has been established at the theatre in Zalamea, where 27 evacuees have received assistance.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
