Madrid (Spain), 27 July (LaPresse) – The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has stated that today and tomorrow are ‘crucial days’ for the operations to extinguish the wildfires ravaging Spain. “From Wednesday, weather conditions will take a turn for the worse,” he warned at a press briefing at the command centre in Navalcarnero, in the province of Madrid. At present, he reported, there are three major fire fronts in the Ávila and Madrid regions; the most worrying is to the north of the San Juan reservoir, where firefighters are stepping up their efforts. In the Madrid region, the flames have ravaged 25,000 hectares, whilst in the Ávila area the figure stands at 50,000. In Madrid, 35,000 people remain evacuated, whilst nearly 22,000 are confined to their homes and unable to leave. Marlaska said that 3,000 personnel and 1,000 ground and aerial vehicles have been deployed to halt the blaze. The other major fire is the one that broke out on Saturday in Vall d’Uixó, in the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community. Local authorities have reported that the blaze has consumed 7,200 hectares within a 67-kilometre perimeter. The fire is still active; it has been neither stabilised nor brought under control. The central government’s representative in Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, stated at a press conference that it does not appear the fire was caused by natural causes. Investigations are currently underway to determine who, if anyone, is responsible. “All possibilities remain open,” Bernabé clarified.
Madrid: ‘Today and tomorrow are crucial days for bringing the wildfires under control’
Madrid (Spain), 27 July (LaPresse) – The Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has stated that today and tomorrow are ‘crucial days’ for the operations to extinguish the wildfires ravaging Spain. “From Wednesday, weather conditions will take a turn for the worse,” he warned at a press briefing at the command centre in Navalcarnero, in the province of Madrid. At present, he reported, there are three major fire fronts in the Ávila and Madrid regions; the most worrying is to the north of the San Juan reservoir, where firefighters are stepping up their efforts. In the Madrid region, the flames have ravaged 25,000 hectares, whilst in the Ávila area the figure stands at 50,000. In Madrid, 35,000 people remain evacuated, whilst nearly 22,000 are confined to their homes and unable to leave. Marlaska said that 3,000 personnel and 1,000 ground and aerial vehicles have been deployed to halt the blaze. The other major fire is the one that broke out on Saturday in Vall d’Uixó, in the province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community. Local authorities have reported that the blaze has consumed 7,200 hectares within a 67-kilometre perimeter. The fire is still active; it has been neither stabilised nor brought under control. The central government’s representative in Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, stated at a press conference that it does not appear the fire was caused by natural causes. Investigations are currently underway to determine who, if anyone, is responsible. “All possibilities remain open,” Bernabé clarified.
