"I have video cameras and through my cell phone I was watching how the fire was getting closer to home."

XertaAt 1 pm the strains of a sardana begin to sound and, in a highly anticipated proclamation, the residents of Xerta (Baix Ebre) are informed that the firefighters the fire is declared stabilized that has kept them on edge for two days. The neighbors having a drink on the terraces of the main square applaud. The nightmare is over. The announcement puts an end to two days confined within the town with the flames threatening from almost every direction.

But many neighbors haven't heard the proclamation because as soon as they received the message from Civil Protection informing them that the lockdown was being lifted, they rushed out to check if the flames had spared their farmhouses. Among these neighbors are Núria Badia and Santi Mola. "We didn't think so, but the house was saved. The fire passed through the ravine next door," explains a relieved Núria. Santi admits they had little hope because they have some pine trees on the perimeter of the property and knew perfectly well that if the fire touched one, all would be lost. Next to them is Inma Giménez, their recently arrived neighbor. She's calm because she knows her farm, a house surrounded by plump olive and almond trees, has also been saved. But she worries about the animals.

"I saw three bombs explode"

Inma says goodbye to the neighbors and heads toward the property. As soon as she opens the door, Cosedet, the cat, who has been alone for two days, approaches meowing. They pet each other, and she immediately gives him food. The chickens and the rooster were also saved. The ground on the property is covered in ash, and the smell of an extinguished fire is still present. The flames have reached within 200 meters of her house. "I have video cameras, and through my cell phone, I was watching the fire get closer. In the images, it seemed much closer. It was like a herd," she says. However, as she spent hours watching the flames on her cell phone, she saw at least three detonations of bombs from the Civil War that hadn't yet exploded. She is convinced that the fire hasn't gotten any worse because some neighbors had cleaned their property. "I do what I can... but I'm already 68 years old and I'm very tired," she says.

A few kilometers from Inma's house, three other residents of Xerta have come to look. "The farms that were worked have been saved. The rest, everything burned. The entire municipal area has burned," says Jaume Fusté. Guillem Blanc is the owner of the Hotel Casa Ceremines, and some acquaintances from Barcelona called him to ask if he could go see how their farm was doing. Luckily, it was also saved.

The loss that everyone is mourning is that of the Pi del Perillo, a monumental tree that was protected and much loved by the residents of Xerta. While many residents went to check on the condition of their farmhouses, a member of the Xerta Hiking Center went into the forest and went straight to look for the tree to confirm what everyone feared.

On Monday afternoon, the wind pushed the fire very strongly and the flames left only one way out of the town. Many didn't know what to do. "I told a waiter that if I stayed here, they'd find my house burned down," explains Mari Àngels Martí, Jaume Fusté's wife. Frightened, they both chose to leave. Guillem, having guests at the hotel, didn't have this option and stayed in the village. "Everything was surrounded by flames," he recalls. The work of the firefighters and the lull in the weather, which eased the wind and replaced the sun with light rain, allowed the Town Hall to sing a sardana again and make a new proclamation: "The Firefighters have informed the Town Hall that the fire is now stabilized."

The proclamation also announced that anyone interested can now stop by the Town Hall to register for the float parade and the popular frying pan, and that the festival committee reminds everyone that season tickets for all the festivals are now on sale.