Thousands evacuate as wildfires rage in Valencia

STORY: A fire in Vall d’Ebo, near Alicante, burnt 16,000 acres of land boosted by a hard topography, which forced firefighters to effort aerial means to control the blaze.

Locals were shocked after a night of evacuation in which they left home with only the clothes they were wearing.

“It's too bad, we never expected anything like this in life,” said evacuee Josefa Balaguer about a wildfire that started on Saturday (August 13) after a thunderstorm.

In nearby Castellon, firefighters struggled to control a blaze at Les Useres after it burnt 1,976 acres.

Valencia firefighters got Calles wildfire under control.

Spain's weather agency AEMET said fire risk was still very high in the Mediterranean area.