The Firefighters plan to be able to stabilize the forest fire that has affected a wooded area of ??Baix Camp, between the municipalities of Selva del Camp, l’Albiol and Vilaplana, since 2:30 in the morning. The strong wind that has blown throughout the early morning and continues to whip the mountains inland from Tarragona is complicating the work of more than forty vehicles from the Generalitat Fire Brigade to try to stop the advance of the forest fire. The perimeter of the fire has been practically closed and at the moment it is no longer advancing on the right flank, the one that caused the most concern because it is pushed by the gusts of wind. At times the wind has reached gusts of more than 90 kilometers per hour.
Despite the fact that the first aerial means of extinction had also been incorporated, such as a bomber helicopter, the wind has forced them to be withdrawn for security reasons. It is an area that is very difficult to access, which also makes the work of firefighting teams difficult.
Despite the fact that the fire does not directly threaten any urban center or urbanization, for now, the Generalitat Fire Department has urged the confinement of fifteen residents of half a dozen isolated houses located in the Garramell district, in the municipal area of ??l ‘Albiol. The emergency bodies have asked the residents to stay inside their homes and prepare in case an evacuation is necessary, depending on the evolution of the fire.
The delegate of the Generalitat in Tarragona, Àngel Xifré, has traveled to the area of ??the fire to follow the evolution of a fire that is of particular concern due to the force of the wind, which is expected to continue affecting the entire area until this noon.
The strong drought that has also affected the protected natural area of ??the Muntanyes de Prades for two years, like almost all of Catalonia, has facilitated the spread of the forest fire, very unusual at this time of year, still in winter.
The fire has made it necessary to cut the local road that connects the Selva del Camp with Vilaplana. For now, it is unknown how the fire started, around 2:30 in the morning, in an area with vegetation, near Garramell.
At this moment, the Firefighters are especially concerned about the right flank of the forest fire, located downwind. The left flank, against the wind, is much more controlled. For now, there is no data on the forest area affected by the fire or the total perimeter of the fire.
