The first big fire of the year burns more than 1,600 hectares of mountains in Lugo and Ourense
A poorly carried out burning of stubble is the cause of the biggest fire registered in Galicia so far this year. And its person in charge, a neighbor whose negligence has led to the charred disappearance of 1,400 hectares of forest in Baleira (Lugo), according to the researchers. The fire, which started at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday in the parish of Cubilledo, reached emergency level 2. What forced to evict the residents of Fórneas. The weather conditions were the worst: more than 70 km/h of wind (at the most critical moments).
“The wind has been a determining factor in the spread of the fire, which is already stabilized. We are at a propitious moment for the forest to burn,” explains one of the forest agents deployed. Together with the Bombeiros Forestais direct the extinction work. The one in Lugo has been so impressive that it forced the use of 5 technicians, 32 agents, 49 brigades, 29 motor pumps, 1 technical support unit, 2 planes and 3 helicopters. In addition to the support of the UME (Fifth Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM V)) displaced from the Conde de Gazola Military Base (León). “We have worked on the tail and left flank of the fire, making a direct attack,” explains the person in charge of communication, Alberto Vázquez.
The three other fires declared in Lugo are: Alfoz and Viveiro (total 170 hectares, both stabilized) and Taboada (8 hectares, controlled). “They grew because we had strong winds, less than 30% relative humidity, temperatures around 23 degrees and more than 30% slope,” laments a forest agent deployed in Alfoz.
The three fires in Ourense were extinguished yesterday. The largest burned 70 hectares in Covelo (Viana do Bolo). In Entrimo, 14 hectares burned, some within the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park. Together with those of Lugo, they add up to a burned forest area of 1,662 hectares.
The strip of the northern third of Spain, has a vegetation that is a vein for fires if it is not managed well. Asturias maintains at the close of this edition more than 100 active fires and Cantabria 30.
14 great fires
On a technical level it is called a “great fire & rdquor; the one that ends up with a burned area of more than 500 hectares. The one in Baleira almost triples that figure, having the sad honor of being the deadliest forest fire (in terms of vegetation) of 2023. Galicia records in its historic 14 large fires from 2018 to today, according to data from the Xunta Extinction Service. July, August and September concentrate the bulk of them. While the Lugo fire joins the only fire registered so far in the month of March, it was in 2019. “The state of the vegetation when spring begins is crucial, as it happens now, when it is dry and the new ferns have not emerged . We must demand greater effectiveness from the companies that manage forest biomass& rdquor;, affirm the forest agents.
For its part, the Xunta has prohibited burning throughout the countryside. And he assures that he is going to start the processing of the law for the comprehensive fight against forest fires.