Race against time to stabilize the fire that has injured the green lung of northern Valencia Country

ValènciaRace against time to try to stabilize the fire that since Saturday has been devouring the Espadà mountain range, the green lung of the north of the Valencian Country and an identity symbol of the Castellón regions. So far, the fire has burned more than 6,500 hectares, has reached a perimeter of 48 kilometers and has forced the evacuation of 16,000 people and the confinement of 64,000 in a total of 18 towns. These are, however, provisional figures that will be updated this morning after yesterday, Sunday, the flames advanced only six kilometers.

The voracity of the fire has been so high that on Saturday night the firefighters acknowledged the difficulties of stopping flames that reached several meters high and exceeded all extinguishing capacity. An example of the dimensions of the fire is that this Monday numerous towns in the Ribera Alta, a region located more than 70 kilometers from the origin of the fire, have woken up with ash in their streets. This is also demonstrated by the balance of affected people, which includes nineteen people who have required medical assistance for smoke inhalation. One of them is still admitted to a hospital and seven remain under observation.

The most painful thing for many neighbors in the affected area will be to assume that the fire could have been intentional. "It does not seem to have been caused by natural causes," acknowledged on Sunday the delegate of the Spanish government in the Valencian Country, Pilar Bernabé. The fire broke out on the most dangerous day of this summer in the Valencian Country, when a dry west wind was blowing with gusts close to 30 kilometers per hour and the thermometer was rising above 35 degrees. Completely unfavorable conditions that occurred after weeks of very high heat and absence of rain.

"It has been the worst night in history" for Vall d'Uixó, acknowledged on Saturday the mayor of the town in La Plana Baixa, Tania Baños, aware of the impact on the municipality where the fire originated but also on one of the botanical treasures of the north of the Valencian Country, a mountain range declared a natural park in 1998 and which hosts the largest cork oak reserve in the territory. To dimension its importance, it is enough to remember that it occupies about 1,200 square kilometers and 120,000 hectares.