A WIND-fuelled wildfire raged in eastern Spain today and hundreds of people were evacuated, local authorities said.

The blaze erupted yesterday near Montichelvo village in the coastal region of Valencia and has so far affected up to 1,400ha, emergency services said on X.

Over 600 people were evacuated, including the residents of a mental health centre in the village of Ador, local officials told public television TVE.

Wind gusts of up to 120kmph were hampering efforts to battle the blaze, they said.

Spain was lashed by strong winds yesterday as Storm Ciaran battered Western Europe, causing at least 10 deaths, including that of a 23-year-old woman who was struck by a fallen tree in Madrid. – AFP, November 3, 2023.