Simultaneous fires again strain the Firefighters

BarcelonaCatalonia is experiencing a tragic script that repeats itself every day. While the Generalitat Firefighters fight throughout the night and morning against fires that started the day before, new fires break out at midday, coinciding with the hottest time of day. It happened on Monday, it happened on Tuesday, and it happened this Wednesday. The extinguishing corps was working to stabilize the Sentmenat fire after controlling those in Baix Empordà and Anoia, and three new fires have broken out: in Gavà, Alt Camp, and Bages, which were managed to be stabilized despite the fact that the latter two had caused great concern initially.

The chief inspector of the Firefighters, David Borrell, admitted that the situation is "very tough," with record temperatures and very low humidity. "Regarding the spread of fires, it is a lethal combination," he stated. "We are concerned about Bages and Alt Camp, we are really concerned. We are working very intensely," Borrell stated around eight in the evening, admitting they had a potential of thousands of hectares. An hour later, however, around half past nine at night, Borrell's message changed completely: the extinguishing efforts had worked, and both fires were in the process of stabilization. "We are satisfied," stated the head of the Firefighters. Finally, shortly before ten at night, they announced that the Alt Camp fire was already stabilized, and around 11 PM, the Bages one.

The Alt Camp fire started in Pla de Manlleu, and the main risk was that it would spread towards Penedès. In the case of Bages, the fire started in Navarcles and produced a lot of smoke because it affected a recycling plant. Another piece of good news that arrived this Wednesday is that the Firefighters have stabilized the Sentmenat fire, the most critical in recent hours. The confinements of the nuclei of El Farell and Sant Sebastià de Montmajor, in Caldes de Montbui, have also been lifted, after two days of being confined to their homes. However, the one in Guanta de Sentmenat remains in place.

A firecracker, possible cause in Gavà

The priority for the Firefighters all Tuesday night was the Sentmenat fire, but plans were disrupted this Wednesday when at midday a column of smoke was spotted in Gavà, forcing the confinement of some nearby urbanizations, affecting 6,000 people and leaving eight hectares burned. The Agents Rurals and the Mossos d'Esquadra are investigating whether inadequate use of pyrotechnics is behind this fire. Shortly after, the alerts from Bages and Alt Camp arrived, which forced the confinement of entire towns like Sallent, resulting in 11,000 people confined due to these two fires. However, around 9:30 PM, the confinements for the Navarcles fire, which affected about 9,000 people, were lifted, as were those for the Alt Camp fire, which affected Valldossera, el Pla de Manlleu, isolated houses in Aiguamúrcia and nearby areas, in addition to Pinedes Altes de Montmell, in Baix Penedès, and Pontons, in Alt Penedès.

The two fires are affecting about a hundred hectares each — which does not mean they are burnt out. Again, especially in the case of Alt Camp, it is an area with many scattered houses. After a tough afternoon, however, the Firefighters saw themselves at night with the capacity to control the two fires, especially because with the darkness the temperatures drop and the humidity rises.

Preventing flare-ups

Meanwhile, several teams of firefighters have remained at the already controlled fires that have been breaking out in recent days, such as those in Baix Empordà, Anoia, Segarra, and Conca de Barberà, where they have been dousing the land to prevent flare-ups. The task of reviewing material damage to take stock is also being carried out.

Borrell said that this situation of simultaneity had not been faced since 1994, but, now, unlike then, the firefighters are satisfied because they have been able to stabilize the fires "relatively quickly." However, they already foresee that this Thursday will also be complicated. "We still have tomorrow, it will be a very tough day. Here we go again," Borrell concluded.