ARCHIVED - Efforts continue to bring raging wildfire under control in Tarragona and Barcelona

1,400 hectares of land affected while another fire razes 2,500 hectares in Albacete

Firefighters in southern Catalunya are optimistic that during Monday they will be able to complete the process of bringing under control a forest fire which broke out on Saturday, and which is so far estimated to have affected an area of approximately 1,400 hectares.

The scale of the blaze is almost insignificant in comparison with the massive fire which has begun to create its own micro-climate system in the western USA, but when this one started on Saturday in Santa Coloma de Queralt, in the province of Tarragona, it caused great alarm. The flames soon spread into the neighbouring province of Barcelona, but by Monday morning firefighters reported that they had managed to stop it spreading further around 80 per cent of its perimeter.

This, coupled with a more propitious weather forecast for Monday, leads to optimism that any further damage can be limited, but for the time being residents of Sant Martí de Tous and Santa Maria de Miralles remain confined to their homes.

At present it is believed that the fire was most likely caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette butt or a spark from a car engine.

As much of Spain sweltered over the weekend in 40-degree heat, another fire in the province of Albacete was brought under control on Sunday after affecting around 2,500 hectares of land. The blaze occurred in Liétor, not far north of the boundary with the Region of Murcia and close to the reservoirs of Talave and Cenajo.