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Fires in Spain
WILD FIRES IN SPAIN
Well, what an extraordinary weekend we have had in Valencia Province – and particularly around Gandia! Not only was Saturday the hottest day in April for fifty eight years but it was also the day during which two major forest fires broke out within the area.
Fires in Spain are, of course, not uncommon. The land tends to be tinder dry for much of the year and it takes little for a fire to start and then to run quickly out of control. Indeed, if a wind gets up then a wild fire can spread at quite extraordinary speed and severely test the resources of the fire service.
Certainly, the fire closest to me during the weekend looked comparitively minor until a strong breeze relit it on late Saturday afternoon. This was unlucky timing – as nightfall prevents the operation of helicopter and aeroplane water bombers. These are the fire service’s most important tool when a forest fire is rampaging and, without them, there appears little anyone can do to stop fires in Spain blazing out of control.
The fire around Gandia was dramatic (and awesomely beautiful at night) and required huge resources to bring it under control. Indeed, all day airplanes carrying their water droned overhead, accompanied by helicopters hauling their huge bags of water – which swung below them like grotesque pendulums.
Needless to say, everyone has respect for the pilots of the aircraft used to put out fires in Spain. In fact, it must take quite extraordinary skill to control a plane full of water let alone when the aircraft concerned is being flown low between mountains covered in thick smoke. Incredible!
It would be nice to be able to write off the fires as an unlucky consequence of mother nature – perhaps a lightening strike. However, initial reports suggest that the fires were almost definitely started deliberately, as they had been in my area a year or so ago.
Certainly, it seems to me a remarkable coincidence that the fires during the weekend started on the hottest day in April for several generations. This had been forecast a few days beforehand and was probably exactly what some miscreants were waiting for.
I hope that I am wrong about the fires being started deliberately because starting fires in Spain is just about one of the most irresponsible actions a person can take. Not only do wild fires cause long term damage to the natural habitat but also the potential for injury to humans and animals alike is considerable. The trouble is that for some people such matters seem irrelevant.
Incidentally, on Saturday, the temperatures in Gandia soared to an astonishing 37 odd degrees (as per our car thermometer) and remained at 25 degrees at midnight!
What odd times we live in!
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