Fire prevention Javea priority

Council to spend thousands on new scheme to prevent future catastrophes

JÁVEA is spending a €128,000 grant to get the first phase of the town hall’s municipal Fire Prevention Plan underway as the area’s long-running drought continues.

Valencia is on high alert for forest fires this summer and people are asked to take precautions - and the risk of a wildfire was dramatically illustrated last week by the huge blaze that hit communities around Llutxent, inland from Gandia.

Last Friday afternoon three small fires were quickly extinguished before they could spread; one near the Jesus Pobre road, a second near Cansalades, and where another two firefighting aircraft supported local police in the Puchol area dropping water to aid specialist forest firefighters, local police and civil protection volunteers on the ground.

The planes scrambled as a precaution because of the area’s closeness to woodland and the Montgó natural park. Puchol has seen three fires in the last week.

Jávea’s plan was agreed earlier this year after politicians met with experts and representatives of the emergency services; and agreement was reached on how to install prevention measures in the short and medium term.

The municipal planning came in the wake of two major forest fires - the 2014 blaze on the Montgó, and the 2016 fire that swept across protected land of Granadella from neighbouring Benitachell.

And at a special meeting it was decided funds from the Alicante provincial government should be earmarked to put the first phases of fire prevention in place – the team will now decide what is an immediate 'priority' and 'viable” using the grant.

Mayor Jose Chulvi said the prevention of 'catastrophes' like the Montgo and Granadella incidents was 'the great concern of local government' especially because of the 'large number of dwellings' in wooded areas 'with the highest risk of being affected'.