Benidorm blaze evacuations
Wildfire takes hold at site targeted by fly-tippers and inhabited by squatters
AROUND 50 people spent Tuesday night in L’Illa sports centre in Benidorm after they were evacuated from their homes as a precautionary measure due to a wildfire which broke out that afternoon.
The fire brigade reported that they started tackling the blaze at Partida Armanello on the edge of the town at 15.45
They noted that the fire had taken hold in rubbish and plastic dumped at the fly-tipping site which lies behind hotels, the market site and the ‘butano’ gas station on the Levante beach side of Benidorm – close to Avenida de la Comunidad Valenciana.
A brigade spokesman explained that ‘abundant and very dry vegetation’ in the area caused the fire to spread very quickly.
Pine trees at the site burst into flames as the blaze spread, with six teams of firefighters battling the blaze on the ground, aided by specialist forest firefighters from the regional government.
Tourists in nearby highrise hotels looked on as the aircraft dropped water across the site of the fire and a billowing black cloud
rose over the area.
The regional emergency services HQ in Benidorm reported that there were three separate seats to the fire.
The fire brigade had noted that they attended a car fire on the wasteland at 14.25 the previous day – and had rapidly extinguished the flames.
Vast area of rubbish on fire
The teams fighting the fire on the ground had to hose down and remove all sorts of rubbish including gas bottles, tyres
and builders’ debris.
Local sources noted that squatters’ properties on the Partida Armanello, which are illegally connected to overhead power lines, had also been evacuated.
The blaze was classed as being ‘under control’ by firefighters at 20.45 on Tuesday night but some residents were not allowed to return to their homes until the following day.
Sources indicated that no properties had been burned and the blaze was contained on the Partida Armanello site.
Drone trouble
Emergency services had to take action over the flying of a drone by a member of the public which was ‘putting the aircraft operating in the area at serious risk’.
State news agency EFE reported that the pilot was tracked down and the drone ‘intercepted’.
The pilot has been ‘denounced to the national agency of air safety (AESA)’ and legal proceedings will also be started at the local courthouse.