Around 2,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes in southern Spain while firefighters gained control of a forest fire near the Donaña National Park wildlife reserve over the weekend.
Around 400 fireman and soldiers battled the last of the flames on Monday, June 26, using dozens of vehicles and 14 firefighting aircraft. Meanwhile, around 450 people were still waiting to return to their homes.
The fire comes during a heatwave that has gripped much of Europe including the the Iberian Peninsula, bringing water reservoir levels to record lows as temperatures climb to over 104 Fahrenheit.
That area, the southern region of Andalusia, is home to the Chicago-sized Donaña National Park. The reserve is home to the Iberian lynx, the world’s most endangered feline species, one of which had to be removed from a breeding center due to the blaze.
