Major wildfire in Spain forces the evacuation of 1,500

A large wildfire in northeast Spain grew rapidly overnight and was burning out of control.

It has already forced the evacuation of eight villages and 1,500 people in Zaragoza province.

A local government official said Sunday that the situation was critical in the town of Anon de Moncayo and the priority for the 300 firefighters fighting the blaze was to protect human lives and villages.

The wildfire, which was declared Saturday, developed a 50-kilometre (31-mile) perimetre in less than 24 hours.

Those who fled took shelter in three different sports centers in nearby towns.

Firefighters said the outlook for taming the blaze depends on the weather, but gusty winds up to 60 kilometres (37 mph) were predicted.