Spanish and French firefighters are trying to control a fire on the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia near the border on Saturday August 5. The fire progresses because of the wind, and led to the night evacuation of more than one hundred and thirty people.
At 9 a.m., some 435 hectares were affected, according to provisional data from Catalan forest rangers, who said they were investigating the causes of this fire in a message published on X (Twitter). More than 2,500 hectares are threatened, according to firefighters. The fire “remains active” and the priority is to contain its progression towards the south, to prevent it from reaching the municipality of Llançà, they specified in a press release published on the Catalan government website.
The fire progressed rapidly on Friday evening, due to high winds, which prevented water bomber planes from taking part in operations, and hilly topography which made it difficult to access the flames. Catalan firefighters announced on Saturday morning on X (Twitter) that aerial operations could begin during the day, thanks to a lull in the Tramontana, and after helicopter spotting.
About 135 people were evacuated overnight, according to firefighters, while several hundred others were confined to villages or campsites that welcome thousands of tourists every summer. Due to the fire located in the Spanish town bordering France with an important train station, “the firefighters of Catalonia ordered [Friday] the confinement of the municipality of Colera, the area of ??La Rovellada and the campsite of Sant Miquel “Said the Civil Protection of Catalonia.
French firefighters mobilized
According to the latter, more than 4,000 people are without electricity in this area and “rail traffic remains stopped” between Portbou and the town of Figueras, located about thirty kilometers further south. The national road leading to Portbou and the border is also closed. Catalan Red Cross volunteers take part in operations to support the population and welcome people who have not been able to return to their homes.
About eighty units of Spanish firefighters are mobilized, as well as a dozen French fire trucks from the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, bordering the area of ????the fire.
In 2022, nearly 500 fires devoured more than 300,000 hectares in Spain, a record in Europe, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis). This year, the number of hectares burned is around 70,000 hectares, according to the same source.