The Vélez de Benaudalla fire was declared “controlled” around 17.00h Saturday. The fire broke out the previous day causing a large column of smoke near the canyon.
Infoca uses four phase terms to describe a fire’s situation:
Incendio Activo: the fire is spreading and might have one or more fire fronts..
Incendio Estabilizado: the fire is no longer advancing and has not active fronts. However, it is not under control.
Incendio Controlado: the fire is completely surrounded by fire-fighting units and bordered by land with no vegetation or vegetation that has already been consumed; i.e. no combustible material. Within this perimeter there can still be some hot spots.
Incendio Extinguido: A fired is declared as out when it has been established that there is no possibility of it breaking out again.
Therefore, this ‘controlled’ status means that the fire is all but out but there is a chance that it could break out again.
During the course of the fire there was no need to carry out any evacuation of the numerous cortijos in the affected area between the N-323 and the A-4133 – the latter is the one that goes between Vélez de Benaudalla and Motril via La Gorgoracha.
Over 80 firemen, nine vehicles and an aircraft were used to bring the fire under control. Besides the Infoca crews, firemen from Motril and Granada also participated, as well as Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional personnel.
A mobile command centre had been set up in the Cueva del Capitán area to coordinate operations, as well as an information point for the press covering the fire.
Finally, according to the emergency service, 112, they had received over 200 calls from concerned citizens on the Costa Tropical.
#Granada | A 29 de diciembre y así avanzaba el #IFVélezDeBenaudalla esta tarde. pic.twitter.com/8UAlR7O6vO
— Batallón T-15 (@Batallont15) December 29, 2017
Editorial comment: it is clear that forest fires are now something that occurs all year round, even in the winter months; a quiet period previously used by Infoca to carry out fire-prevention work.
(New: Velez de Benaudalla, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)