FOREST INFERNO
Families left homeless as fire hits six towns and destroys 7,421 acres
WHAT has become the worst forest fire in the Valencia region in six years - leaving 40 families homeless and at least 7,421 acres of land destroyed - was finally declared 'under control' yesterday (Thursday).
After four days of intense fire-fighting, flames had engulfed houses and forestland in the towns of Llutxent, Pinet, Ador, Barx, Quatretonda and Gandia.
FURY, pain, hopelessness and tears have been the most-cited expressions of emotion since the flames began sweeping across the Vall d'Albaida and La Safor, devouring entire urbanisations, mountains and forests in its wake.
“I have nothing left except my dog and the clothes I'm now wearing,” said Javi who, until Monday afternoon, was enjoying the summer at his home on the upmarket Marxuquera neighbourhood in Gandia.
His house in the Montesol estate is now a pile of ashes, and his worldly goods with it.
Javi is one of over 40 families whose homes have been razed to the ground on the Monte Pino, Montesol and Las Cumbres urbanisations in the Marxuquera area and who now have to rely on help from relatives and friends, charities and the town council for their survival.
Two women camping in the Baladre theatre broke down when were told on Wednesday night that their homes were completely destroyed, with everything they owned inside reduced to ashes, and needed to be treated by psychologists.
Gandía town hall has arranged emergency accommo- dation for around 400 residents evacuated between Monday and Thursday, although this is largely in sports and community centres where camp beds have been set up.
Regional president Ximo Puig has promised to provide housing for everyone who has lost their home.
A perfect storm
Record temperatures – reaching 40ºC – an ongoing drought, winds of 40 kilometres per hour and intense humidity of over 80% causing an electric storm to break meant the combination of a bolt of lightning and the arid mountain landscape in Llutxent (Vall d'Albaida) turned into a raging hell within minutes and, by Monday evening, 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) were already on fire and 2,500 residents evacuated.
It swiftly crossed the border into La Safor, reaching the stunning Valldigna valley – still recovering from a blaze that forced entire towns to be evacuated in March 2006 – engulfing the mountaintop village of Barx and threatening the rural La Drova urbanisation.
Home to a number of British residents, La Drova was immediately cleared and homeowners had minutes to flee with their pets and whatever they could stuff into a bag.
At the time of going to press, emergency services had confirmed La Drova was safe and had not suffered significant damage, but nobody was allowed to return home until at least yesterday afternoon.
The district border town of Pinet, close to Llutxent in the Vall d'Albaida, looked set to be wiped off the face of the earth: 70% of its land has now gone, although the main hub has escaped the flames.
And barely an hour after Marxuquera residents saw the orange glow on the horizon, they were being ordered out of their homes.
“It all happened so quickly – the wind changed and we had five minutes to get out,” said Àlvaro.
Gandía's mayoress Diana Morant said: “It's horrific. It's like Greece all over again.”
Six towns, two districts, 7,421 acres
When the blaze was still limited to the Vall d'Albaida, emergency services were starting to gain ground by the second day.
But gales of over 70 kilometres per hour on Tuesday night fanned the flames and set them back to square one, wiping out 24 hours of back-breaking work.
A wall of flames of over 20 metres (52 feet) high spread to Quatretonda (Vall d'Albaida), then to Ador, near Villalonga (La Safor) and finally to Barx and Gandia.
Homes in Llutxent itself, Quatretonda, Ador and Barx are said to have been spared and only the rendering of a handful of houses in Pinet has been damaged, but Marxuquera bore the full force and fury of the fire.
Now reported to be under control – but still active – the inferno has destroyed 3,003 hectares (7,421 acres), a number of farm buildings and country houses used as second homes, and at least 40 main residences.
By Thursday lunchtime, it was deemed safe for residents in Pinet and the L'Ermita area of Marxuquera to return home – those who still had one to return to.
Blaze sparked by lightning strike in the Vall d'Albaida engulfs La Safor and destroys entire urbanisations in six towns in Valencia province
Praise and blame
Many evacuees bedded down in sports halls in Gandía complained authorities kept them on a knife-edge for hours, or even days, about whether or not they had homes to return to.
Whilst the council and fire brigade did not want to reveal anything until they had the full information to hand, the wait was agonising for those imagining their entire lives victim of the hungry flames.
“If they had any details, they should have given them straight away,” said one of the fire refugees.
Mila said police who knocked on doors ordering occupants to leave were 'rude' to her and 'grabbed her roughly' because she was trying to save her dog before getting out and, 'although they were rescuing horses and donkeys', officers 'were not helping people with their dogs and cats'.
Gandia council and the regional government have come under fire after admitting there were 'not enough firemen' to go round, causing speculation that the blaze may have been contained earlier and saved several houses if sufficient resources had been available.
Additionally, a lack of natural fire-breaks meant the flames were able to pour across the province like molten lava unchecked.
But everyone has been full of praise for the firefighters who worked day and night beating back the flames.
Now that the flames are starting to die down, the questions on the lips of residents in six towns across two districts are, how can this have been allowed to happen, how can we stop it happening again, and will authorities treat fire prevention as an emergency or simply look the other way?