Spanish man burnt by wildfire as he tried to save town is now fighting for his life

A view shows a wildfire burning from the Valmediano eolic park, on the second heatwave of the year, in Spain, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

TABARA, Spain (Reuters) - A Spanish man who fled a wildfire with his clothes in flames after trying to dig a trench to protect his town was in serious condition in hospital but managed to communicate with his wife, a family friend told Reuters on Tuesday.

Angel Martin Arjona ran out of towering flames after the wind changed direction and fire and smoke engulfed the digger he was operating in the northwestern town of Tabara in Zamora province, a scene caught on video by Reuters.