Local authorities in Spain said on Tuesday the wildfire in northwestern Spain in Galicia was a deliberate arson.
The fire burned across 1000 hectares (2500 acres) of forest land, authorities added.
The fire near Ribas de Sil town started on Monday afternoon and blasted huge columns of smoke in the air, causing road and train lines blocks.
Manuel Rodriguez, the regional environment chief, said in a news conference that the fire was evidently “intentional.”
“Investigators have identified various points that ignited simultaneously… Whoever did this knew perfectly well it would cause a lot of damage,” he added.
“You can’t explain this… It’s difficult to put yourself in the head of someone who would want to do this,” he continued.
The authorities have warned residents of Rairos village as it is in the way of the fire.
However, they said no houses are in danger for now.
The military’s emergency unit was sent as a backup to help the local firefighting teams.
The fire brigade deployed 49 teams, eight planes and 14 helicopters to extinguish the fire, but they haven’t controlled it yet.
“We have a perimeter around the fire, but it is not stable, nor under control,” Rodriguez said.
hot weather and low humidity on Monday night made firefighting complicated, as well as slow communication.
Wildfires in Spain
Wildfires in Spain have destroyed 74,260 so far this year, which is above the average of the last decade.
However, it’s still less than the 190,000 hectares ravaged in 2012, the worst year in the past 10 years.
Seven of the 10 years in the past decade are the hottest years on record in Spain, Environment Ministry data show.
Huge wildfires have ravaged various parts of the world this year.
Experts say that hot and dry weather fuels these fires, which is a symptom of global warming and climate change.
