This time last year the number of mountain fires in the province of Granada stood at seven – this year it has already reached 66. Having had a dry winter and spring, things aren’t looking good.
Granada comprises of 42 municipalities and spread around them are 1,200 volunteers belonging to the Protección Civil. These municipal bodies have just been formed into a provincial body to act in co-ordination with Infoca, which is the regional, forest, firefighting body; the front-line of defence in these coming summer months.
A group of Protección Civil volunteers has been trained to provide support for Infoca, acting in a logistics capacity but will also be up where the ashes lie.
“They won’t be digging fire-breaks and they won’t be fighting the flames, but they will be along the perimeter of a fire, damping it down to stop it springing back up into life,” explained Manuel Navajas, who is the Provincial Head of the Protection Civil and 112 services, adding, “there are big fires where we need first-aid help and control on the access lanes.”
The volunteers received their training at the Tablones (Órgiva) base or Cedefo, as they are known in Infoca terminology (Centro de Defensa Forestal). The Seaside Gazette ran an article on the said base a couple of years back and were shown round the installations, which boasts a helipad for use during the summer. They also have a fire-fighting squad of eleven, as well as fire-fighting vehicles and drivers. Forty Environmental Workers are also on the staff.
“When there is a fire, it becomes an outing for spectators, with the curious turning up all over the place,” remarked the Head of Infoca, Lorenzo Blanco, which why it is essential that everybody involved in controlling the fire knows what he is supposed to be doing. The Guardia Civil go out and close the access lanes, but it will be the Protección Civil who actually man the road blocks.
“A forest fire is a complicated beast and you never know which way it is going to move. If there ever is an incident where civilians are hurt or worse, I’ll end up sleeping at Hotel Iron Bars,” remarked dryly Sr Blanco.
(News: Órgiva, Alpujarra, Granada, Andalucia)