More than 18,000 people in lockdown as wildfire rages in Catalonia

By Nacho Doce

XERTA, Spain (Reuters) -Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents of the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday and several dozen were evacuated as a wildfire raged out of control, consuming almost 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation.

Large parts of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia where Tarragona is located.

The latest fire broke out early on Monday in a remote area near the village of Pauls, where strong winds and rugged terrain have hampered firefighting efforts, authorities said. An emergency military unit was deployed early on Tuesday alongside more than 300 firefighters working in the area.

"Since midnight, firefighters have been battling the blaze with gusts of wind reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour (56 miles per hour)," Catalonia's regional firefighting service said, adding that the strong Mistral wind was expected to ease by the afternoon.

Overnight, fire engines raced the winding roads of the Pauls Mountains, surrounded by flames, as crews assessed and tried to contain the blaze.

In the neighbouring villages of Xerta and Aldover, residents spent a sleepless night as the flames threatened their homes.

"(There has been) a lot of fear and a lot of crying because we are already on the edge of the fire. Last night, because of the wind that was blowing the fire and the smoke, we couldn't leave our house. Terrible, this has never been seen before," Rosa Veleda, 76, told Reuters.

Authorities said they had prevented the fire from spreading across the Ebro River, which would have worsened the situation. Approximately 30% of the affected area lies within the Ports Natural Park, and officials are investigating the fire's origins.

(Writing and additional reporting by Emma PinedoEditing by Andrei Khalip and Gareth Jones)