A LOCKDOWN has been lifted and residents have returned to their homes after firefighters contained a wildfire threatening Barcelona’s northern suburbs.
The blaze ripped through half a square kilometre of forested land in the Collserola mountain range just north of the city, forcing the evacuation of 35 people from their properties in the Torre Baro neighbourhood.
Emergency medical responders from the SEM, the Catalan ambulance service, treated seven people for minor smoke inhalation injuries, with one patient transferred to a local clinic for further care.
Firefighters from the Catalan Bombers brigade declared the blaze stabilised and under control on Wednesday morning, allowing authorities to lift the confinement orders for Torre Baro and the neighbouring district of Ciutat Meridiana.
READ MORE: Nearly 100 firefighters work overnight to stabilise wildfire near Nerja on the Costa del Sol
At its peak, the firefighting operation involved around 70 ground units from the Barcelona Fire Department and the regional government, supported by 12 aerial water bombers.
Some 20 units remain on the scene to cool the perimeter and extinguish secondary hotspots that could flare up in the midday winds.
The environmental enforcement body is now investigating the cause of the fire.
While a video circulating on social media purports to show an individual starting the blaze in a scrubland area, authorities have not confirmed whether the fire was intentionally set.
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
The evacuated residents, who live across some 20 homes on Llica and Castellvi streets, had spent the night in a civic centre set up by the city council.
Despite the lifting of the lockdown, significant public transport disruptions remain in place across the affected areas.
The L11 metro line is still not stopping at Torre Baro-Vallbona or Ciutat Meridiana stations, while the R4 train line is skipping the Torre Baro stop entirely.
Several bus routes also remain suspended or curtailed, including line 182 which is currently limited to Karl Marx square, and road closures are still affecting the routes between Horta and Cerdanyola.
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