‘The worst possible combination’: what has caused Spain’s deadly wildfires?

According to The Guardian, at least twelve people have died in a fast-moving wildfire that tore through the Almería region of southern Spain on Thursday, with many victims trapped in their cars as they tried to flee. The blaze scorched some three thousand eight hundred hectares, and overwhelmed authorities say eight people were injured while twenty-three remain unaccounted for. Experts describe the disaster as the worst possible combination of conditions — intense heat, strong winds, and abundant dry vegetation, compounded by the hollowing out of the rural population across the countryside.

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