‘A hungry monster’: Strong winds power wildfire in Spain

MADRID (AP) — A major wildfire in southeast Spain is prevailing over efforts by 38 water-dropping aircraft and tearing through an area of hilly woodland for a second day. One fire official described it on Friday as “a hungry monster.” Authorities ordered most crews working on the uneven terrain to withdrew, as strong winds and high temperatures created a pyrocumulus — or smoke plumes that became a dangerous cloud potentially unleashing powerful lightning. The wildfire has destroyed more than 3,600 hectares (9,000 acres) of forest, prompting the evacuation of 1,000 people and leading to the death of a firefighter. People in some villages were told to stay indoors with their windows shut due to thick smoke that saturated the hills.