We have requested the collaboration of the UMUM (Military Emergency Unit). ”Salvador Ililla, president of the Generalitat, has launched this Monday night the message on social networks before the virulence of fire that has already burned 1,500 hectares. One in the area around the Barranco del Hell, in Paüls (Tarragona), has forced to confine this noon four municipalities of the region of the Baix Ebre, near Tortosa and Part in the Dels Ports Park.
During the night, the wind has revived the fire YY in disseminated populations of Tortosa for an “important smoke column”, as well as to evacuate 50 people in the Tuscar. The Generalitat has asked neighbors to close doors and windows and do not circulate on the roads. It has been necessary to redesign the operation, since the fire has jumped the Ebro River, affecting the municipality of Tivenys, and police have evacuated neighbors of the Raval de Jesús, who have moved to Tortosa.
After 22 hours, the fire had reached 570 hectares (in 90% forest area of the natural park) and firefighters have admitted that it has potential to burn 3,000, explained Jordi Miranda, of the Corps of Rural Agents. The most affected population is Alfara de Carles, with 400 hectares. At the last minute, firefighters predicted a “hard night.” And at 23 hours, the Chief of Firefighters Intervention, David Borrell, explained that there has been a change in wind behavior that has hindered the works, “with foci secondary to 200 meters, two languages, towards the river and towards Alfara, and has forced to confine a small urbanization”, where the fire has come to play a farm, without regretting personal damage.
From the Tortosa command post, the head of intervention at the head of the operation, Joan Rovira, has detailed late in the afternoon that they try to stabilize the tail of the fire, but have been worried about the impossibility of accessing the highest areas whipped by the flames. “At certain times the fire has had extreme behaviors. What worries us more now is the increase in wind intensity. Facing the night we will try to access the high parts of the fire. Ministry’s airplanes have more capacity to maintain flight in intense wind conditions,” they said. They have added that Paüls will remain at level 3 of the Alfa Plan (which goes from level 0 to 5) by very high fire danger.
🔴 Update (08/07 – 00: 00h): According to provisional data, the (Baix Ebre) affects an approximate area of about 1,500 hectares of the municipalities of Paüls, Alfara de Carles, Xerta, Aldover and Tivenys.
– Rural Agents (@AgentsRuralscat)
In Pladilles, a residential area of Aldover, Ismael Blanch, explained: “The sunlight has changed to the fire and we have reached a lot of ash in the air.” This Monday has been confined at home for five hours “with great uncertainty for what was happening,” he informs Eva Hidalgo. Blanch has reported that he has not been afraid, but the situation and that the situation, saving the distances, reminded him of the pandemic: “First we have not been able to leave home, we were locked up, and after the municipality.” He has received different civil protection messages, the last recalling that the limit of the urban nucleus is respected.
The mayor of Paüls, Enric Adell, has warned that the situation is still complicated, especially on the right flank, with a lot of forest mass. “The positive thing is that we have been able to coordinate with the Emergency Service (SEM), Civil Protection, Firefighters and Mossos d’Esquadra so that the neighbors who were outside the municipality could return to their homes despite the cut of the road,” he said.
As communicated, the complicated orography of the area, the high temperatures and the intense wind that has blowing 40 kilometers per hour from the northwest have hindered extinction tasks.
We continue to work on. The fire moves towards the Canal del Grau ravine pushed by the mestral. We prioritize the left flank, which would open to the road, and work to close the right flank, which would open towards the ports.
18 🚒
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👨🚒 64– Firefighters (@bomberscat)
Another agricultural fire confines three areas in Lleida
The dreaded fire simultaneity has been another factor that has complicated on Monday the extinction tasks. A second agricultural fire in Pinell de Solsonès (Lleida) has been declared around 13.50 in La Plana de la Maçana. Firefighters have deployed 27 land endowments and seven airs to contain the flames that have affected some 35 hectares of dry land. Civil Protection has ordered the confinement of three areas of Masías Real of Urban Nuclei: Serrat de les Cases, Serrat Escaçat and Serrat de L’àliga. Firefighters have stabilized fire over 22.38 hours.
