In the stabilization phase the fire in Collserola that has forced the evacuation of some homes and the confinement of neighbors
Sixty or so ground teams of firefighters worked through the night to prevent secondary outbreaks
BarcelonaA forest fire declared this Tuesday is burning in Collserola, north of Barcelona. The fire has generated special concern due to its proximity to several homes and has forced the precautionary evacuation of 35 residents from a frontline of houses in Torre Baró. None of those affected needed to stay overnight in a municipal facility.
The fire, which started around 3:20 PM in a scrubland area near the Canyelles neighborhood and above the Alta de les Roquetes road, is not yet under control, but is in the stabilization phase. The flames have approached the frontline of homes on Lliçà and Castellví streets, which border the forest area, and due to the strong presence of smoke and the fire's proximity to the homes, residents of three neighborhoods have been ordered to shelter in place: Torre Baró, Ciutat Meridiana, and Vallbona.
"We are working so that the fire does not reach the houses," assured Sergi Bover, head of intervention for the Barcelona Fire Department, explaining that initially the wind was pushing the flames towards the right flank, but then it stopped, which caused the left flank to surge. In this regard, he expressed confidence that in the coming hours "there will be no change in the wind for the worse" that complicates the evolution of both flanks and causes the fire to become uncontrolled. On Tuesday evening, the forces of the Generalitat and Barcelona Fire Department had already identified the active fronts and the areas where it could advance, and they considered that other buildings were not in danger nor were further evictions anticipated. Agents Rurals will be responsible for the investigation into the causes of the fire.
With the arrival of night, the Firefighters have withdrawn the aerial means because they could not act safely and have concentrated their efforts on the head of the fire to avoid new secondary outbreaks. In the afternoon, some flames jumped out of the main perimeter and originated new small fires, which burned between 5 and 8 hectares. The personnel are also looking for more hot spots at risk of reactivation and are striving to delimit the perimeter of the fire with hoses and water to prevent the fire from continuing to advance.
"During the night, we leave about fifty ground crews at the disposal of the Barcelona Firefighters, which, depending on the evolution of the fire, could be gradually withdrawn," reported the Generalitat Firefighters. From Wednesday morning, the aerial means will return to control the most active area, and the ground personnel will re-enter it, with the aim of getting the fire under control.
Previously, as a preventive measure, the residents of Torre Baró and Ciutat Meridiana had already been confined. Later, those in Vallbona also joined. Protecció Civil sent them an ES-Alert message. Agents of the Guàrdia Urbana also warned residents who were on the street to return home and close doors and windows. "It's very distressing. I've never experienced a fire where the ashes and smoke reached my home," José Antonio Martínez, a neighborhood resident, explains to ARA. Other residents explain that the smoke and the strong smell of burning can be felt throughout the neighborhood.
Despite the presence of Guàrdia Urbana vehicles circulating through both neighborhoods with megaphones announcing the confinement of residents, Protecció Civil has sent a second ES-Alert to reiterate the call for civility and respect for the orders of the authorities. The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has also traveled to the area, expressing confidence that everything can be stabilized and controlled in the coming hours.
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The fire affects an area of approximately 35 hectares of forest land in the Serra de Collserola Natural Park, according to provisional data. The fire broke out at 3:20 p.m. in a scrubland area for reasons that are still being investigated. Firefighters from Barcelona and the Generalitat Fire Service are working in the area, with more than 60 crews, twelve of which are aerial. The council of the Catalan capital has activated the Municipal Action Plan (PAM) for forest fires in alert phase to the emergency phase.
Impacts on mobility
As a consequence of the fire, traffic has also had to be restricted on the road from Horta to Cerdanyola del Vallès, the Collserola cemetery road, and the Alta de les Roquetes road. In addition, several stops on bus lines V27, 27, 47, and 127 have also been cancelled, and their routes have been modified. For safety reasons, metro line 11 also does not stop at the Torre Baró / Vallbona and Ciutat Meridiana stops. Similarly, Rodalies trains on line R4 are bypassing the Torre Baró station.
Elements of the Barcelona Urban Guard (GUB) have immediately moved to the scene to secure the perimeter and regulate mobility. In parallel, a preventive alert has been issued to all municipalities bordering the natural park to maintain maximum institutional coordination.
The fire also coincides with the African swine fever (ASF) crisis in Collserola. This has led the Rural Agents to activate biosecurity protocols and deploy disinfection teams for the vehicles and equipment of the emergency services.
Second fire this August
This Tuesday's is the second fire reported in Collserola this August. On the 14th, another fire burned, in this case, in the part of the massif located between Barcelona and Esplugues de Llobregat. At that time, the Can Caralleu neighborhood had to be preventively confined without anyone being evacuated. In that case, a person suspected of having caused the fire was arrested.