The reserve is a stop for migratory birds and home to about a fifth of the remaining Iberian lynxes.<\/b>
\nBARCELONA, Spain \u2014 A forest fire in southern Spain forced the evacuation of at least 1,000 people and threatened a national park famous for its biodiversity and endangered species, authorities said Sunday.
The fire started Saturday night on Spain\u2019s southern coast, then advanced east to reach the Donana Nature Reserve, one of the country\u2019s most important wildlife sanctuaries and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.
\u201cThe fire has entered in the limits of the reserve, and that is where we are focusing our efforts, \u201d Jose Gregorio Fiscal Lopez from the regional Andalusian authority in charge of the environment told Spanish national television.
The reserve protects over 264,403 acres considered of extreme ecological value for their mix of ecosystems, including wetlands, dunes and woods. It is a key stop for migratory birds and home to a variety of animals, including about a fifth of the 400 remaining Iberian lynxes.
Ecologists who work in the park are concerned that the fire could wipe out some of the area\u2019s prized species and terrain.
\u201cWe are worried because the impact could be huge, \u201d Carlos Molina, an ornithologist who works inside the reserve, said from his home nearby.
\u201cDonana is probably one of the most important areas for birds in all of Europe, and we just happen to be in a nesting season for several species, \u201d Molina said.
While Molina said the reserve\u2019s endangered Iberian imperial eagle should not be threatened, the area in immediate danger from the fire is territory for the extremely endangered lynx.
Juan Sanchez, director of the Andalucia\u2019s forest fire prevention unit, said the fight was \u201cin its critical phase\u201d because of strong winds whipping up the flames.
Susana Diaz, the regional president of Andalusia, said no people have died in the blaze and \u201cthere\u2019s no risk to the population\u201d after about 1,000 were evacuated from campsites and houses near the town of Moguer, where the fire started Saturday night.
Diaz said fighting the fire was proving difficult because of hot, dry weather, with temperatures reaching 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and shifting winds. Over 550 firefighters, soldiers and police officers supported by 21 air units were combating the blaze Sunday.
\u201cIt\u2019s still very early, but we are not ruling out the human factor\u201d as a possible cause of the fire, Diaz said.
The fire comes a week after wildfires killed 64 people in neighboring Portugal, which like Spain is suffering from a lack of rain and high temperatures.
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