Wildfires cause mayhem in Alicante province
Two blazes stretch the emergency services to the limit
WITH Alicante province on high alert for forest fires, the nightmare for residents and the emergency services in the north of Alicante province began at midday on Saturday.
Jávea local police reported that a blaze had started at around noon in the Barranc de l’Hedra, close the to the old road to Gata de Gorgos (Camí Vell de Gata).
The flames spread quickly, eating up plant life which has been starved of water for months and fanned by strong winds.
It quickly became apparent that a major emergency situation was developing and six aircraft were called in to battle the fire.
On the ground, teams from around Alicante province, the regional forest fire fighting brigade and the local Balcón al Mar volunteers tried to prevent the flames from reaching properties. The local police reported that the winds and high temperatures were hampering the efforts to put out the fire and 98 people were evacuated from their homes.
The lives of numerous animals were saved, too – the Camí Vell de Gata backs onto the riding school Centro Hípico Jávea, and grooms, horse owners and customers were seen leading the horses to safety down the main road with the help of Protección Civil volunteers.
Police had to help soothe a terrified horse who refused to go past the flames.
Other property owners rounded up pets and livestock, with one seen leading a herd of sheep and goats along with his dogs.
Fire chief Alan Clemente told local reporters that if the team had not responded quickly, the blaze ‘would have spread to the Montgó with disastrous consequences.
The local police said ‘lamentably the fire may have been caused by the burning of agricultural waste’. It affected around 200 hectares of land in Jávea, Gata and Denia.
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It was not until 21.03 on Monday night that the regional emergency services reported that the fire had been brought under control.
Second fire
While the provincial fire service was still dealing with the fire in Jávea, they received a report from the regional emergency services HQ in Valencia at around noon on Sunday that flames had been spotted in a mountainous area of Tárbena.
Again, strong winds and tinder-dry countryside meant the wildfire moved quickly through the vegetation and soon a major emergency was declared.
The CV-715 which links Parcent and Tárbena via the Coll de Rates pass was closed.
As the scale of the fire became
apparent the authorities asked the ministry of defence to send in the army’s UME emergency brigade, which specialises in fighting largescale fires.
Parcent town hall reported on Sunday afternoon that ‘as a precaution, some houses in the Coll de Rates urbanisation have been evacuated’.
“We recommend those in the area whose houses have not yet been evacuated to be prepared to go as quick as possible if needed, as the fire evolves,” they stated.
“Please spread this message to friends and family residing in this area.”
El Matadero building in the town was set up to take them. By that night, 182 people had been evacuated from their homes – 100 in Tárbena, 80 in Parcent and two in Jalón.
In the bulletin released at 07.30 on Monday, the regional emergency services revealed that six aircraft started work at first light to try to bring the fire under control.
They noted that the night had been ‘complex’ for the teams fighting the mountain inferno.
The army's UME brigade had arrived, along with firefighters from Murcia region, who joined the teams from Alicante province and the regional forest firefighting brigades.
On Monday the emergency services reported that the fire had affected around 600 hectares of land.
At 19.00 on Monday night 226 firefighters and UME soldiers were battling the fire.
The wildfire was finally classified as ‘stabilised’ at 19.00 on Tuesday by the regional emergency services.
Regional secretary for security and emergencies, Javier Montero said the 182 people who had been evacuated could return to their homes.
At 23.30 that night the emergency services HQ reported that 60 soldiers from the army’s UME emergencies brigade would be working through the night and they would be relieved on Wednesday morning by another 60 comrades.
And at 21.00 on Wednesday night it was finally classed as controlled – which means that the fire was no longer spreading and had been contained within a specific perimeter.