Valencia province on fire
Friday, June 17, 2016 @ 6:17 PM
SEVERAL forest fires in inland parts of the province of Valencia have forced the evacuation of a private hospital and numerous homes as the flames continue to spread out of control.
An inferno broke out in the La Canal de Navarrés district in the centre of the province on Wednesday night, and is still burning.
It started in the town of Bolbaite and has extended to the villages of Chella, Anna Sumacàrcer, Estubeny, Sellent and Cotes, and emergency services report that over 2,800 hectares are alight.
Two other wildfires in Carcaixent (Ribera Alta district) and Terrateig (Vall d'Albaida district) which started on Thursday are perilously close to each other.
In Carcaixent, the private Aguas Vivas hospital, and the urbanisation Les Barraques, have been evacuated.
Most have been given emergency overnight accommodation in an industrial estate in Alzira (Ribera Alta), the nearest large town to Carcaixent, whilst the hospital patients have been transferred to State centres in nearby towns including Xàtiva (La Costera), Alzira, Gandia (La Safor) and Valencia city.
Even over the southern border into the province of Alicante, residents said they could smell the smoke.
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