The flames of an out-of-control wildfire on the Costa Brava have ravaged around 750 hectares of woodland and forced some 12,000 people to remain indoors in several municipalities in the province of Girona.
The Catalan government has requested support from the UME to fight the Empordà wildfire, which broke out in La Bisbal d’Empordà and, according to the Rural Agents, may have been started by mechanical work on a road.
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has warned about the scale of the wildfire and has urged people to follow the authorities’ instructions strictly, while the Catalan government has advised residents in the Barcelona area to avoid travelling to Baix Empordà, Gironès and Pla de l'Estany to facilitate firefighting efforts.
Preventive stay-at-home orders and mobile alerts
The La Bisbal fire, still active and out of control after entering the Gavarres massif, has produced a huge column of smoke and led to the preventive confinement of several municipalities in Empordà, affecting some 12,000 people. In addition, around 40,000 have received Es-Alert mobile warnings due to the coverage of mobile phone masts.
At a holiday camp affected by the lockdown orders there are 150 children, all of whom are reported to be safe and well. In the province of Girona, another wildfire in Vilavenut has forced residents in the villages of Vilavenut and Palol de la Farga to stay indoors, with alerts sent out to the population.
Tramontana winds and road closures
Firefighters have deployed more than fifty crews, including eleven aircraft, to tackle the La Bisbal wildfire, which is being driven by the tramontana wind and has created secondary fronts in the Gavarres. The fire, which broke out at 09:17, could be affected by a change to a sea breeze, so teams are working on its right flank to prevent it spreading towards the coast.
The Vilavenut wildfire, which started around midday, is advancing through farmland and is being fought with three aircraft and 17 ground units, as well as tractors ploughing the land to slow the flames. The wildfires have also forced the closure of several roads, including the C-66 at Palafrugell and roads in Cornellà del Terri, Vilademuls, La Bisbal d’Empordà, Calonge, Banyoles and Llagostera.
On X, the social network, several people have shared, in consternation, videos and images of the fire in the Gavarres mountains and the Baix Empordà, expressing their solidarity with firefighters and local residents.
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