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Firefighters Battling Ibiza's Largest Wildfire
United Press International
May 30, 2011
Spanish firefighters battled a spreading wildfire on the Mediterranean resort island of Ibiza Friday and hundreds of people were forced to evacuate.
“Things look bad,” said Defense Minister Carme Chacon, who flew over the area in a helicopter.
The fire, described as the worst ever on the island, had burned an area of about 5,000 acres, El Pais reported.
Firefighting efforts were hampered by high winds.
Officials said the fire started Wednesday near the northern town of Sant Joan de Labritja. Police detained a 50-year-old man who was accused of starting the fire with a smoker used to blow smoke into a beehive.
