Forest fire ground zero

Around 60 evacuees have no home to return to after flames engulfed Vall d’Albaida and La Safor

A CHARRED lunar landscape reeking of destruction, Gandia's 'ground zero' a week after the devastating blaze that started in the Vall d'Albaida resembles the remains of a nuclear holocaust or a sci-fi horror film depiction of the end of the world.

And for dozens of families, it actually is.

Between the first flare-up in Llutxent after lightning struck the arid, parched mountains last Monday and the Marxuquera neighbourhood of Gandia becoming engulfed in 20-metre walls of flames, over 2,600 residents were evacuated and 7,500 acres of land, including 70% of the town of Pinet, were wiped out.

To date, more than 60 of those forced to flee the area with just their pets and whatever they could stuff into a bag in under five minutes have been unable to return home.

They lived on the Montesol, Montepino and Las Cumbres urbanisations in the Marxuquera in the 40-plus houses that caught fire as Armaggedon ravaged their estate.

And of those, an estimated 10 homes have been razed to the ground, complete with their contents – for many, a lifetime of memories and treasures, as well as everyday staples, are now just a heap of ashes.

Gandia town hall has set up a crisis centre in the Casa de Cultura on the main Paseo de las Germanías and is providing counselling and basics such as clothing and food to the victims.

The 60 or so newly-homeless have been given council-owned flats to live in for the time being.

Even those who have been able to return home are not out of the woods as yet, though: water and electricity are currently cut off for safety reasons and only temporary supplies have been set up in some parts.

State funding to rebuild the Marxuquera

National government minister of public works José Luis Ábalos visited the disaster zone this week and agreed to declare it as a 'natural catastrophe' site to enable financial help to be sent from Madrid.

Gandia council and the re- gional and provincial governments will also be required to put up cash as a result of the 'catastrophe' qualification.

Ábalos pledged a swift amendment to a national law covering cash grants for victims of fires and other disasters, since this currently only covers a first residence and owners who live on less than €10,500 a year.

As the Marxuquera is a sought-after district, very few of those affected would qualify on this income level.

It is likely most of the damaged homes were insured, but contents and even buildings cover is not considered as essential or automatic as it would be in the UK, meaning it is possible some owners will still be out of pocket.

And in the event of a natural disaster, insurance companies normally refer policyholders directly to the government's Insurance Compensation Consortium, known commonly as the 'Consorcio', which often takes a long time to pay out.

So far, over 50 families have said they want to apply for crisis aid.

Community rallies round

Residents and traders have been offering help to those affected where they can, with restaurants and cafés cooking up meals and giving drinks to those evacuated and other businesses donating their products where these may be useful to those who have lost everything.

The furniture shop HOME has given Gandia council mattresses, bed frames, pillows and sofas, kitting out local authority properties so they were ready to move into.

Red Cross officials, civil protection volunteers, local police and council workers have been by the fire victims' side almost 24 hours a day for nearly a fortnight, and mayoress Diana Morant and her deputy Lorena Milvaques were seen distributing bedsheets and food and chatting to evacuees.

An Ayudar Llutxent ('Help Llutxent') group has been set up on Facebook, although in practice most of the help will be given to Gandia, where it is most needed.

Run by Spaniards and expats alike, it is seeking volunteers to help clean up the streets, gardens and houses currently buried in several inches of ash.

Ayudar Llutxent is also drumming up support via the Facebook site The Gandia Grapevine and organising collection tins in shops.