The battle to extinguish “the worst wave of fire in recent history” of Spain “is coming to an end”, thanks to the improvement of climatic conditions, said the director of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, on Saturday.
“Today, I am announcing a very favorable evolution” in the fight against “the worst wave of fire in the recent history of our country, which caused so much damage”, thanks to “the opportunity offered by the climate,” said Virginia Barcones at a press conference.
“Now we can say that this battle against the flames is coming to an end (…) This terrible episode is closing,” he said.
Four dead and more than 350,000 ha burned
Spanish firefighters, aided by teams from other countries of the European Union, worked for long days to fight these forest fires, which have left four dead and devastated more than 350,000 hectares in the last two weeks, according to the European Forest Information System (EFFIS).
This Saturday, seven forest fires remained active, including six classified in operational level 2, which means that they are still a danger to people and homes.
This number is significantly lower than several dozen simultaneous fires recorded in recent weeks, however, said Virginia Barcones.
Always “active” houses
The most dangerous fires are in the Castilla-Et-Leon region, but “the current panorama (…) is very encouraging” with “climatic conditions (which) favored control of active foci and a situation that continues to improve,” said the civil protection pattern.
The lower temperatures, less wind and some rains have helped the extinction of the fires, he explained.
According to the government, these forest fires have constituted “one of the greatest environmental disasters” suffered by the country in recent years.
Source: BFM TV
