Spain declares areas affected by fires a disaster zone

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The Spanish government declared disaster zones on Tuesday for areas affected by 113 major fires in the country over the past two months, 15 of which remain active, said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

The declaration was approved by the Council of Ministers, at a meeting in Madrid, and encompasses five other areas also affected in the last two months (since June 23) by storms and episodes of intense rain , which caused flooding , said the minister, who considered that the impacts and events at stake are a consequence of climate change.

"It is clear that this is one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in recent years," said Fernando Grande-Marlaska, at a press conference, at the end of the Council of Ministers that approved the declaration of "areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency" (the official designation for a disaster zone) for 118 territories in 16 of the 17 autonomous regions of Spain (all except the Basque Country).