Wildfire Threatens Spanish Monastery, Relics Moved to Safety

A wildfire advancing toward the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña in Spain's Huesca province has prompted the evacuation of its historic treasures. On Thursday, members of Spain's Emergency Military Unit, assisted by heritage experts, removed boxes containing skeletal remains, paintings, and other religious objects from the site.

The artifacts, some linked to the first kings of Aragon and the 10th count of Aranda, who were buried at the monastery, were transported to nearby Santa Cruz de la Serós before being taken to the Huesca Museum for safekeeping.

The evacuation came as firefighters continued to battle the blaze in the Peñas de Riglos area, which has already destroyed 9,000 hectares and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes. The fire sent thick smoke into the sky, with vehicles seen moving through the area as flames approached.

The operation underscores the growing threat of wildfires across Europe, fueled by recent heat waves that have sparked blazes from western Europe to the Balkans.