Wildfire in Spain forces hundreds to evacuate

In western Spain, a wildfire has ravaged some 7,400 acres of forest and scrubland and forced the evacuation of 700 people from several villages. Local authorities blame arson for the blaze, which broke out Wednesday in the sparsely populated region of Extremadura bordering Portugal.

Strong winds were "making it extremely difficult to control" the blaze. Wind gusts of up to 60 kilometers an hour have been recorded in the region in recent days. Weather conditions are forecast to remain challenging, with winds only expected to calm on Sunday when there is the possibility of light rain in the region.

Over 400 professionals backed by 14 water-bombing aircraft were working to put out the flames, the regional agriculture ministry said. The firefighting team included 165 soldiers from Spain's military emergencies unit UME.