The points of the massive forest fire which raged in the mountains yesterday and which threatened to spread to Calasparra have been brought “under control” announced the Mayor of Calasparra on the local radio this morning.
In the early hours of this morning the fire which started in Hellín, north of the Cenajo reservoir, had arrived at the Cerró Salmeron in Moratella and the national emergency services had issued a Level 2 alert.
This morning the blaze around Hellin continues out of control.
At 4.15 am reports were received that the fire had entered the Murcia region and the helicopter and fire brigades from the Sierra de la Pila, on service fighting the massive fire raging through Valencia, returned to assist local brigades.
The fire burned on two fronts: one in Albacete which has already destroyed 1,000 hectares, and the other in the Murcia region, affecting five kilometres of lower mountains with pine trees and bushes in Moratalla.
Some 40 residents of Cerro Salmerón in Moratella with properties in the path of the progressing flames were evacuated to Calasparra” as a precaution” although up until now there is not news of any damage to their properties. In Hellin some 200 people were also evacuated.
The fire, which started at around 1pm yesterday, was caused by a resident of Hellin who was burning branches after pruning his olive trees.
The Fire Control Centre set up at the Cenajo reservoir continues to fight the blaze near Hellin and will control the entire area affected by the fire during today.
Many residents in Calasparra awoke to find ashes in their swimming pools this morning after an anxious afternoon yesterday watching the column of smoke which covered the mountains. The Mayor of Calasparra told residents that “a change in the wind” could bring the fire back to the area and asked all residents to be extremely vigilant and to call the emergency services on 112 to report any fires in the area.
Photo contributes by reader, Ian Williams, from the Tierra del Sol.
