Just under 500 people have been evacuated due to a forest fire in south-western Spain.
The fire, which broke out on Thursday, has so far engulfed around 8,000 hectares in the province of Huelva, the regional government of Andalusia said on Sunday.
The number of evacuees has risen slightly to 474 in the past few hours. However, no towns or villages are currently under immediate threat, it was reported.
The flames spread rapidly over the past few days, partly due to strong winds, said Andalusian Interior Minister Antonio Sanz.
"Today, however, we are somewhat more optimistic," he emphasized. Progress has been made in fighting the blaze, thanks in part to improved weather conditions. The southern part of the fire is now under control.
Near the small town of Niebla, around 60 kilometres west of Seville, some 500 firefighters are continuing to battle flames in a hilly woodland area. They are being supported at times by up to 26 fire-fighting aircraft and helicopters.
Spain is being hit by an exceptional wildfire season this year.
"Since the start of the year, almost 200,000 hectares have been affected," said the minister for ecological transition, Sara Aagesen.
There have already been 40 major fires in 2026. "Last year, there were 15 at this stage," she added.
According to the Spanish wildfire portal 'Incendios Forestales', 37 mostly small forest and vegetation fires were active across the country on Sunday.
The regions worst affected are the Valencia region in the east, which is popular with holidaymakers, and Castile and León in the north-west of the country.