Bush fire 23 Aug 06

[greytop]

Near Adsubia, Pego
Some excitement this afternoon. Nothing compared to the Galicia fires but it required 3 light planes and two helicopters plus the bomberos on the ground to bring it under control.
Still some smoke as I type but much reduced.

[Marbella]

This is brilliant, our very own NFS news-desk.
I wonder what caused this fire? No potential building land up there?

[greytop]

This is brilliant, our very own NFS news-desk.
I wonder what caused this fire? No potential building land up there?
Everything in Spain is potential building land!
Seriously though, I think there is an embargo placed on burnt land for a long period to prevent speculators doing that.. I believe there is also legislation being put in place to limit where they can urbanise whilst there is some countryside left.
Most of the fires around here are deliberate, rubbish burning getting out of hand, cigarette ends or lightning. I'll keep an eye on the newspaper for any updates. The planes are still damping down the ground but the smoke now is much reduced. The chopper count went up to 4 just after I'd posted the first one. Plus a seaplane and a couple of crop spraying type light planes. What a lot of money it must cost to fight these things but they are usually where there is no mains water supply so they do not have an option.
This has been a bad year due to the drought conditions. The reservoirs here and further south are virtually empty now.

[Ben]

Now that is the citizen journalism of the future! Thanks for posting the pics. It is surprising that more of Spain doesn't suffer these fires considering how dry the whole country is at this time of year - amazing in fact that Galicia, the greenest region in Spain, has been hit hardest by fire. Then again, there isn't a lot of forested ground left in Spain any more. They say that in the past a squirrel could cross Spain from top to bottom without touching the ground, but wood-burning stoves and ship building put pay to that centuries ago...

[Ben]

I completely forgot to post this pick yesterday too. It's the site that greeted us when we touched down in Madrid on Tuesday, a blaze right next to the top of the runway. I thought it must be a plane, but no, a trye factory had caught fire...

[greytop]

Quick update and full story in the paper here (http://http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/edicion/actualidad/marina/marina.html)
They got it under control about 8pm and then had people around overnight to make sure it did not flare up. Probable cause - a fireraiser, as there have been many such fires in the same general area that coincide with strong winds.

Resources used:
Hasta cinco helicópteros, uno de coordinación y otro con la máxima capacidad de carga (el Kamov), actuaron en el incendio.
También cuatro avionetas, dos drómaders y dos air tractors, se sumaron hasta las 20 horas a las labores de extinción, coordinadas por dos vehículos de jefatura y por la Guardia Civil.

Not sure what a drómader is but sounds like a camel so guess its a tanker of some sort.
Ah well back to normality!

[Edith]

It is surprising that more of Spain doesn't suffer these fires considering how dry the whole country is at this time of year - amazing in fact that Galicia, the greenest region in Spain, has been hit hardest by fire.

I was wondering about that too... but, like you said, Galicia might have gotten more forest left than other regions in Spain, so there is more 'fuel' available to sustain these fires.

[greytop]

Woke up to the smell of smoke again today. Report in the paper (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/20060915/valenciana/desalojan-personas-vilallonga-incendio_200609151231.html) that the fire extends over a 2 km front and was spotted at 2100 last night. It is a bit further away than the last one but close enough to make it smoky and have ash falling on us. Winds are gale force so heaven help the firefighters.

2.30 pm and they seem to have put it out now.

[Ben]

That is a big plume of smoke considering how far away it is!

[greytop]

Report from today's paper (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/prensa/20060916/tema_dia/fuego-arrasa-hectareas-vall_20060916.html)

300 hectares destroyed
No-one hurt but 56 people moved from their homes temporarily
250 firefighters, difficult terrain and high winds caused problems
Up to 18 aircraft available once it got light
Most likely a fireraiser as it started at night, in a high wind and in two places
Another two fires at same time some 15 km away may be related
More than 24 hours to control it
All to amuse some sick mind!
http://www.jaydabhi.com/forum/images/smilies/setonfire.gifBring back burning at the stake!!!

http://www.lasprovincias.es/alicante/prensa/fotos/200609/16/10111590.jpg http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/Media/200609/16/portaval180x134--180x134.jpg

[greytop]

That is a big plume of smoke considering how far away it is!
Closest point was 5 km but we are near the edge - most of it was over the hill, unfortunately upwind from us.
Spent half the morning cleaning up ash! Even vacuumed the terrace.