Cape Creus closed due to extreme fire danger

BarcelonaThe Terres de l'Ebre and Alt Empordà are at "extreme" risk of fire this Monday, warned the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. With temperatures above 33 ° C and the forecast of the entry of the mistral wind, up to 45 municipalities of Alt Empordà (19), Baix Camp (10), Baix Ebre (6), Priorat (6) and Ribera d'Ebre (4).

In addition, Rural Agents has restricted access to natural areas of the Cardó-Boix mountain range, the Tivissa-Vandellós mountains, Cap de Creus and the Albera mountain range. The Government has urged people not to let their guard down. It is recommended not to frequent forest areas and natural spaces, especially during hours of maximum sunlight.

Access controls

This Sunday, seventy Rural Agents and ADF personnel are monitoring access points and natural areas at extreme risk of fire. "Ninety percent of fires in Catalonia are caused by human activity; it could be carelessness, negligence, a cigarette butt, or using an unsafe utensil," warned Llorenç Ricou, head of the regional duty area of the Rural Agents. He explained that a dozen summer camps in the affected areas are prohibited from all activity outside their premises.

The Rural Agents will carry out checks throughout the day today in the affected areas to ensure compliance with the restrictions. "Everything is at a standstill," warned the head of the Rural Agents, who indicated that they will also be monitoring the forest for any "unintelligent" individuals. Two Fire Department helicopters and two columns of trucks are also deployed in the area, reinforcing the usual personnel to allow for a more rapid response in the event of an emergency.

Eight more regions

In addition, 52 Catalan municipalities in a total of 8 regions will also be at level 3, due to a very high risk of forest fires. In Empordà, the chances of a fire will be very high in the area around Cape Creus, where the north wind will blow strongly.

However, authorities are more concerned about the Ebro, where there are fewer water collection points and larger areas. "We have an episode of mistral and north winds ahead of us that will require us to be alert and redeploy personnel," said Ricard Expósito, head of the Terres de l'Ebre emergency region.

The highest peak wind speed in the Ebro, with gusts of up to 120 km/h, is expected on Sunday, Expósito noted, emphasizing that a large part of Catalonia is at low risk of fire thanks to the fact that July has been much rainier than usual. For this reason, resources will be deployed to the risk areas: there will be extra firefighter units in Ascó and L'Ametlla de Mar and the 112 service in Reus, and two firefighting helicopters.

Expósito noted that the mistral wind should ease by Monday, but the wind will then be "major during the day and master at night," which means there may be sudden changes in wind direction. "We prefer a stronger and more constant wind in one direction," he admitted.

The regeneration of Paüls, in autumn

This warning on the Ebro comes only two weeks after the serious fire that burned a large area of the Els Ports Natural ParkThis Saturday, the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, visited the area and announced that regeneration work in the affected area will begin in the fall. The fire will ensure environmental health against potential pests, as well as the repair of some twenty kilometers of trails; the removal of burned wood will be facilitated to promote economic use, and burned trees will be monitored to reduce the risk of borers. Town councils and farmers "Our idea must be to continue carrying out forest improvement and management actions. Some of the urgent measures will help us have a more resilient territory," he said. Mayors, farmers, and ranchers from the affected towns met with the Minister. After the meeting, the mayors of Xerta expressed their gratitude for the explanations, but called for "moving from words to deeds."

"We left with the feeling that there is a lot of work and that everything that is coming our way will not be easy," the mayor of Paüls, Enric Adell, told ACN, but "we need to reflect on some structural issues since many structural issues have been going on." "In the future, things can be addressed differently," Adell added. The mayor of Xerta, Roger Aviñó, agreed: "Agriculture is disappearing and this situation must be reversed." These include the Paüls canal ravine, the access road to the Font Nova Natural Park (Alfara de Carlos) and the Punta Alta road (Xerta).