Wildfire kills 2 in Spain as heatwave in Europe sends temperatures soaring again

Blaze created a thick plume of ash and smoke that reached 14,000m in altitude

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Two people died in Spain in a wildfire that spread quickly before firefighters brought it under control, authorities said, as a European heatwave sent thermometers soaring again yesterday.

The blaze broke out in the rural province of Lleida. It created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that reached 14,000 metres of altitude, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain.

Spread at 28 kmph

Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kmph at one point, making it one of the fastest fires registered in Europe, they said.