MADRID, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A wildfire which began at around midday close to the famous 14th century Alhambra Palace in the city of Granada on Thursday has been brought under control, local media informed.
The fire burned strongly on scrubland for two hours before it was brought under control by 77 firemen, who worked with the aid of seven aircraft and helicopters to prevent a disaster.
Several houses and some of the famous cave homes close to the Alhambra had to be evacuated, although local authorities confirmed that tourists visiting the Moorish palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were never in danger and no casualties were reported.
The fire began for causes which are still unknown in a gully in an area called the Barranco del Abogado to the southeast of the Alhambra complex and climbed the hillside until they were close to the old Moorish cemetery, around 500 meters away from the historic monument.
Granada is currently on red alert for a heatwave and temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius helped the fire become established, although the rapid deployment of aerial measures to combat the flames was able to stop its spread. The fire was declared to be under control at 2:35 p.m. local time (1235 GMT).
