Spain removes remains of 11th century kings from monastery as wildfire rages

Spanish authorities on Thursday removed the remains of three kings who ruled the Aragón region in the 11th ​century from a monastery threatened by a wildfire.

Their remains ‌were taken to the provincial museum of Huesca, located 80 km (50 miles) south of the monastery, for their protection until conditions improve, said the ​northeastern region's vice-president Mar Vaquero.

After the wildfire that had ​been raging since Monday began moving toward the 10th ⁠century San Juan de la Peña monastery late on Thursday, ​concern that it could be engulfed by flames prompted authorities to ​launch a rescue operation, Vaquero told reporters. 

An emergency military unit team managed to enter the monastery, located in a mountain range, and take ceremonial ​clothing belonging to an 18th century count buried there, before ​the proximity of the flames forced them to flee.

The team returned a second ‌time, ⁠accompanied by police officers and heritage officials, and removed the remains of the first three kings of Aragón — who ruled between 1035 and 1104 — from a pantheon within the monastery, as ​well as some ​historical paintings.

Vaquero praised ⁠the bravery of the rescue team.

The wildfire had intensified earlier on Thursday, fuelled by higher temperatures ​and strong winds. It has burned more than ​9,000 ⁠hectares and forced the evacuation of 16 towns, although the monastery remained unharmed on Friday morning.

In southern Spain, a much larger wildlife also ⁠worsened ​on Thursday. It has so far burned ​31,000 hectares in the province of Huelva and forced the evacuation of around ​700 people.