AROUND 12,000 residents living on the Costa Brava are now free to leave their homes after firefighters said they had ‘stabilised’ a devastating wildfire that threatened to overwhelm one of Spain’s most idyllic stretches of coastline.
More than 500 people, including firefighters, members of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit (UME) and local farmers, have braced the heat since Friday to extinguish a blaze that has scorched around 2,300 hectares of land near La Bisbal d’Emporda in Catalunya.
That included more than 2,100 hectares of forest within the protected Les Gavarres natural park.
The Catalan government had implemented a stay-at-home order covering eight municipalities: La Bisbal d’Emporda, Llagostera, Santa Cristina d’Aro, Forallac, Cruilles, Monells and Sant Sadurni de l’Huera, Castell d’Aro, Platja d’Aro and S’Agaro, and the popular holiday resort of Calonge i Sant Antoni.
But that has since been lifted after firefighters declared the inferno ‘stable’.
Residents are now free to leave and enter their towns, although people whose homes lie within the fire perimeter will only be allowed to return temporarily and under police escort.
“We are maintaining restrictions inside the fire perimeter, and residents will need to coordinate with the Mossos d’Esquadra to gain access,” said Jordi Marin, head of the Girona fire service.
“We are working with every available resource, but Catalunya is experiencing very high temperatures that could trigger another major wildfire.
“That is why we are keeping our crews here, although if another serious fire breaks out elsewhere we will have to divert resources.”
So far, ten people have suffered minor injuries due to the blaze.
READ MORE: New ‘heat dome’ to roast Spain: 44C highs, suffocating nights and extreme wildfire risk on the way
Eight homes have been completely destroyed, while a further eight have suffered partial damage.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Mossos d’Esquadra.
Police officers have arrested one man who they suspect caused the fire by working with an angle grinder by the side of the road.
Large swathes of Catalunya are currently under a yellow alert for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to hit 39C on Sunday.
The mercury is forecast to climb even higher, with a red ‘danger to life’ warning in place for Tuesday, with temperatures of up to 42C forecast.
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