the west of Zamora relive days of hell. With the Sierra de la Culebra disaster still in their minds, Aliste and Sayago relive the nightmare of the forest fires that once again devastate important extensions and were declared Level 2 of danger. “This is the lace for the peoples. They are abandoned, we are less and less active neighbors, there is a lot of weeds, they are real torches & rdquor; a Sayago neighbor warned hours after experiencing the anguish of seeing the flames at the gates of the town.
The official part of the Board, at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, maintained the Level 1 on both firesfrom Aliste and Sayago, remained active, in perimeter and in research phase of its origin.
The municipality of Figueruela de Arriba loses important masses of pines, chestnut trees and scrubland.
In Sayago, the worst offender has been the town of Roelos, where its neighbors encountered fire at the doors of their houses and the ranchers see how they have been sprayed pastures and foragethe food of the animals.
The disaster is counted by “thousands of hectares & rdquor;, the mayor of Figueruela de Arriba, Carlos Pérez Domínguez, predicted to La Opinion de Zamora. The alistano municipality has experienced hours of extreme tension, with a forest fire that started in the early hours of July 15, around five in the morning, and which was declared Level 2 of danger due to the risk to people when the fire jumped the ZA-P-2438 road and forced the evacuation of Villarino de Manzanas.
“We thought we ran out of houses” Hours after the horror, Ana María Manjón, one of the neighbors, recounted. This paradisiacal border town presents the bleak picture left by fire. A landscape of ashes and “the lung of the town & rdquor; injured. The pine forest is the pride of the neighbors, an emblematic forest with abundant chanterelles that could not get rid of the flames coming from Las Figueruelas.
The fire started there, after five in the morning. At exactly 5:06 minutes Silvia Sanabra from Figueruela de Abajo called 112 alerting of the flames that were approaching the town. It was her cat who really sounded the alarm. Silvia was sleeping when the cat climbed onto her bed, he was restless. “He started doing weird things, he got so annoying that I kicked him out of the room, but he kept going. I thought there was some animal prowling around, when I finally got up and looked out the window, I couldn’t believe it & rdquor ;.
The nightmare returned to the Aliste region and the Sierra de la Culebra. While firefighters and carts arrived, the residents of Figueruela de Abajo tried by all means to prevent the fire from entering the town. Since the municipal mayor, at the wheel of a tractor, until the last inhabitant that could, all the hands were few. The fire took the Moldones direction, without affecting the town, to continue towards Villarino Manzanas.
This riverside town was the worst unemployed. The threat of the flames forced the evacuation of your neighbors. About forty people, of which 25 were housed in the sports pavilion of Alcañices. Others left with their families. “We didn’t sleep a wink all night, although they have behaved very well with us, every little bit they informed us. At half past two in the morning they confirmed that the town was saved & rdquor; Ana María Manjón, still overwhelmed and emotional, told this newspaper from her house. “The night has passed without incident; accompaniments have been made to people who have needed it and measurements of glucose levels have been made to several people with diabetes” Red Cross reported.
On Saturday morning, the residents were able to return to Villarino, relieved that their homes were safe, but saddened by the environmental damage that caused the fire. “It is a very pretty town, all green, with the riverbank, although this year it is dry. In the end you have to give thanks because you can tell and you still have your house. Thanks to the fact that they discharged water on the pine forest if it does not take us all ahead & rdquor; Ana María warned while she contemplates the desolate landscape.
“Pine forests and very productive forests have been lost” Mayor Carlos Pérez lamented already from the tranquility of the controlled fire and whose causes are already being investigated. The Seprona of the Civil Guard inquires between neighbors and municipal representatives to try to determine the causes of the fire to means of the Board and the UME.
In the region of Sayago, Carbellino, Roelos and Salce they spent hours of tension before the dimensions of a fire that officially started at 11:40 a.m. on Friday, although there are neighbors who maintain that around 10:30 a.m. they already saw smoke. The Board declared Level 2 severity at 10:00 p.m. on Friday. “The work of the Castilla y León Forest Fires operation during the night has allowed avoid risk to the population and the consequent descent to Level 1 & rdquor ;, declared yesterday at 8:30 a.m., reported the Board.
Initially it advanced towards Carbellino, where the neighbors mobilized with tractors, vats and everything they had within their reach to prevent the arrival of the flames and especially to livestock farms, the most vulnerable. “There were no means to come, everyone started to defend the town & rdquor; Mayor Benito Sánchez Piorno told.
The neighborhood discomfort due to the “shortage of means & rdquor; in this fire “which will surely jump two thousand hectares & rdquor; It was felt among the residents of Carbellino and Roelos. “It is unfortunate, they have left us abandoned. As soon as a helicopter has appeared, it has gone quickly and meanwhile, the people crushed. Thanks to the farmers who have gone out to plow and with the vats if this does not get out of hand & rdquor; described a neighbor of Carbellino.
The nightmare then came to Roelos, where the flames advanced at the mercy of the wind to settle at the very gates of the town. “They began to ring the bells at three in the afternoon, when we already had the fire inside & rdquor; one person complained. The flames have devastated freshly mowed farms, prepared for packing, calcined balls of food, fodder, pastures, ancient oaks. A disaster especially for farmers, who are left without feed for livestock in a very difficult year.
“They have left us with nothing. Livestock livelihood has been crushed” lamented José Andrés Benéitez. There were endless hours of work, both by the neighbors and by the media displaced to the area. Night crews and machinery trying to stop the flames. “Few & rdquor; inhabitants of this town coincide. “It took a long time for the helicopters to arrive, two came in the afternoon, poured two bags of water and left. It is incredible & rdquor ;.
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The result is a good part of the term scorched. They say that they can exceed two thousand hectares. “They have abandoned us” another neighbor complained. There were also voices against the mayor, who refused to suspend a plenary session “when the fire already threatened the town & rdquor ;.
The Civil Guard crews and agents themselves found themselves in serious trouble on the steep and rocky surface. “The walls are very beautiful but you can’t move, the paths are abandoned. Everything adds up for this disaster to have occurred & rdquor; says José Andrés Benéitez. “We are going to lose a lot of money and a lot of health with this fire & rdquor; lamented the rancher