Wildfire in northern Costa Brava stabilized after over 900 hectares burned

The wildfire that reached northern Costa Brava on Sunday was stabilized on Monday morning after burning around 930 hectares overall.

Flames originated in Rousillon, one of the historical Northern Catalonia counties currently in France, and progressed southwards crossing the border and affecting roughly 100 hectares in the town of Portbou.

Firefighters were still working on the incident on Monday, in order to get it under full control in the evening.

High northern winds have contributed to the wildfire, but emergency services were hopeful that aerial units would be able to operate to put out the flames on Monday after being unable to work on Sunday.

Several residents residing in the Puig de la Farella hill were evacuated. On Monday, some residents beyond the border were still unable to return to their homes because some minor roads were still blocked due to the fire.

Crossborder trains were still interrupted on Monday.

Talking to Catalunya Ràdio station, Portbou's mayor, Xavier Barranco, said on Sunday that flames were "300 meters away from urban areas."

High risk alert of wildfires for second time this year

On Monday, civil protection authorities issued high risk alert of wildfires for 22 out of the 42 counties in Catalonia.

Unseasonal warm temperatures,  and the two and a half years of lower rainfall than average that has led to a serious drought and a drier land, 

This is the second wave of blazes in the country this season, something unusual given the time of the year.

In mid-March, flames swept around some hectares in Selva del Camp area, near Tarragona, and in Canejan, in the westernmost part of the Catalan Pyrenees, in Val d'Aran.

Last weekend, the incident in Portbou was not the only one, because another blaze was active for some hours in the border between Catalonia and Aragon, affecting towns such as la Granja d'Escarp and Seròs.