An uncontrolled fire burns in Empordà and Gavarres and forces the confinement of more than 45,000 people
The Generalitat asks not to travel to the Bisbal area, where there are several roads blocked
La Bisbal d'EmpordàThe vegetation fire that began this Friday at noon in La Bisbal d'Empordà, next to the GI-660 road, has spread rapidly, fueled by the strong tramuntana wind, and has already burned an area of 750 hectares. The virulence of the flames and the smoke columns have caused around 45,000 residents of a dozen towns in the area to be confined and advised to close doors and windows. The fire has entered the protected massif of Les Gavarres and is advancing uncontrollably. Given the behavior of the flames and the start of the weekend, authorities are asking the public to cancel trips to the affected area, especially for those who planned to go to their second homes.
From the command center in La Bisbal d'Empordà, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, explained that firefighters continue to work in a "complicated" scenario. "The fire is very active," she warned. In this regard, she specified that there are currently more than 200 firefighters and a dozen aerial resources working to contain the flames and stabilize the fire.
Firefighters are currently working on approximately 1,000 hectares, and the priority is to contain the head of the fire due to the potential impact it could have on the urbanized area, close to the coast. However, the right flank is also a concern, especially how the flames will behave from tomorrow, when the sea breeze will impose itself on the tramuntana. Due to this wind pattern, the firefighters' priority is now to protect the population and contain the possible advance of the right flank for tomorrow.
The behavior of this fire fits within the fearsome sixth-generation fires, characterized by their speed and the difficulties in combating them. For this reason, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has requested assistance from the UME, the specialized military unit of the Spanish army, "at the request of Civil Protection." In the afternoon, Parlon confirmed that nearly 200 military personnel and 60 UME vehicles are currently traveling to Baix Empordà to ensure coverage in the event of simultaneous flanks.
The fire advances from Bisbal d’Empordà towards the south, pushed by the tramuntana wind. It is already burning on the northern flank of Les Gavarres, and all the villages on the other side of this wooded mass are living the situation with great concern. The flames are mainly heading towards Calonge and Santa Cristina d’Aro. “We are doing everything they recommend, and since the morning we have immediately activated all local police to confine and evacuate urbanizations and colony houses. Let it not enter Les Gavarres, because they are a powder keg and it would be an ecological catastrophe”, stated Josep Xifre Deulofeu, mayor of Santa Cristina d’Aro.
The Firefighters warn that it is "extremely important" to close the right flank of the Bisbal d'Empordà fire to avoid potentially affecting 10,000 hectares in the Gavarres area. This was indicated to the media by David Borrell, chief inspector of the Generalitat Firefighters, who assured that they want to prioritize the right flank – the Santa Cristina side – because it is what will make firefighting efforts "very complicated" on Saturday when the sea breeze arrives. For their part, Jaume Bosch, regional area chief of Girona for Rural Agents, said that the investigation points to the "improper" use of a grinder by the roadside as the origin of the fire, as the Alfa Plan is at level 3.
Regarding the origin of the fire, the Rural Agents suspect that it may have been caused by a spark during mechanical work being carried out on the GI-660 road. The fire also forced the closure of several sections of five roads in the area at half past four in the afternoon. The C-66 is closed between Palafrugell and Forallac in both directions, from kilometer 0 to 8. The GI-513 between Cornellà del Terri and Vilademuls, from kilometers 3 to 9, also in both directions. The GI-660 has an 11-kilometer section affected, from 1 to 12, between La Bisbal and Calonge, also in both directions. The GIV-5132 between kilometers 0 and 12, from Banyoles to Vilademuls, also in both directions. And on the GIV-6612, the impact is from kilometer 0 to 15, between Llagostera and Calonge, also in both directions. This adds up to 52 kilometers of closures, according to data from the Catalan Traffic Service.
