By Alison Withers

GALICIA, Spain (Reuters) -Photo essay: See here

“The fire started on my birthday,” says taxi driver Simon Rodriguez, hauling jugs of water out of the back of a car four months later. “And here we are, fighting it!”

Although the record-breaking wildfires that ripped across Spain and Portugal in August have subsided, residents in rural communities in Spain’s northwestern Galicia region are still battling the aftermath.

Now it is water contamination as autumn rains wash ash and sediment down denuded hillsides, clogging waterways and making drinking water unsafe.

“We can’t shower because the water is completely black. I haven’t showered in two days. We have to wait for the rain to stop before we can shower,” Rodriguez, 33, says while delivering drinking water to resident

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