Wind change helps quell forest blaze

Spanish authorities were hopeful yesterday that dropping temperature and favourable winds would help firefighters battling to extinguish a forest fire on the fringes of the Donana National Park, home to the endangered Iberian lynx.

“Today is a key day,” regional president Susan Diaz said. “Before dawn, [the fire] advanced. There were moments of difficulty and it was out of control. Today all news is positive.”

Andalusia’s forest-fire prevention department said firefighters had confined two of the three blazes but that a third one closer to the park was still out of control, due to blustery winds.