Forest fire rages in southern Spain

MADRID, Spain -- Fire continues to blaze through one of Spain's most prized national parks.

The blaze in the Sierra de Cazorla National Park, near the southern city of Jaen, has already destroyed around 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of pine forest and forced the evacuation of 300 people since it broke out on Tuesday.

The 215,000 hectare (531,000 acre) mountainous park is home to numerous species of wildlife including wild boar, deer and eagles, said Reuters news agency.

"If the weather conditions are on our side and there's no repeat of yesterday's strong wind, it's possible the fire could be brought under control today," a spokesman for the forest fire brigade in the Andalusia region told the news agency.

Firemen on the ground were backed up by 19 planes and helicopters, he said.

Fire officers were investigating if the fire -- now advancing on three fronts -- had been started deliberately, the spokesman told Reuters.