The westerly wind returned, with speeds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour, and the fire that has been affecting Castelló and Teruel since Wednesday came back to life when it began to be contained on Saturday. So much so that it was feared, at the close of this edition, that the flames would exceed the perimeter that remained stable until yesterday afternoon to enter the natural area of ??the Serra d’Espadà. “This is now our biggest concern”, the Autonomous Secretary of Emergency and Security of the Generalitat Valenciana, José María Angel, told this newspaper. And he also warned that it was not ruled out that he would be forced to evict the residents of Cirat, a locality in the Alt Millars region, in the province of Castelló. “Right now we are waiting on the situation of the neighbors, if there are people sick or in need of some kind, to have everything planned”, he added.
The westerly wind, a humidity of 20% and the high temperatures, yesterday of almost 30 degrees, formed a perfect, explosive combination to make things worse. In the extinguishing tasks, in which almost 600 troops and 20 air units participated, it was necessary to fight hard to be able to work in the Maimona ravine, near Vilanova de la Reina. “The complexity of the topography prevents the land resources of the troops from being able to enter this ravine”, indicated José María Angel. The hope was the action of the aerial means, but during the night they had to stop operating. At this moment is when the danger could come.
The priority was to prevent the flames from entering the Sierra d’Espadà. Defense lines had been established so that the fire did not affect the natural park, such as several firebreaks. “We are prepared and prepared to face the problem”, warned the high representative of the Generalitat Valenciana.
Extinguishing work had also been intensified to prevent the fire from advancing towards the towns of Montant and Montanejos (CV-195 and CV-20). However, around 5 p.m. the fire had approached the CV-20 and was about to jump onto the road as a result of the voraciousness of the flames. The balance of razed land remained stable, about 4,000 hectares and about 40 kilometers in diameter, in anticipation of what could happen in the next few hours. On the Teruel front they also remained alert, with a profusion of human resources. As the day before, teams from various autonomous regions worked in a coordinated manner in the two provinces.
Greenpeace assessed yesterday that the fire that is still active in Castelló and Teruel confirms that “in times of climate emergency the management of our forests is urgent”. In a press release from the organization, the spokeswoman for Spain, Mónica Parrilla, warned that in Spain the increase in temperatures and droughts make forest masses more flammable. “This, added to the lack of forest management, creates the perfect scenario for fires”, he added.
