Updated: 19 Aug 2024 | 20:30
18 ago 2024 | 21:49
The temperature inversion and the work of more than 150 personnel from the Infoca Plan have made it possible to stabilise the forest fire that has been affecting a spot in Andújar (Jáen) since Sunday, for which the Junta de Andalucía activated the emergency phase, although it was deactivated on Monday. The fire forced the evacuation of around 500 people and has burned 800 hectares.
Sources from the forest fire plan in this community explained that the work in the area during the night had been carried out under favourable weather conditions, as the wind had been blowing at 10 kilometres per hour and the humidity had reached 20%. These conditions, together with the work of the more than 150 personnel from the Infoca Plan, have allowed the level 1 emergency to be deactivated on Monday afternoon and the evacuated residents to return to their homes.
On the other hand, Antonio Sanz Cabello, Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification of the Andalusian Government, announced at around eight o’clock on Monday evening that the fire had been stabilised, through a post on the social network X.
Sanz had gone to the command post to supervise the extinguishing work, from where he assured that “the extinguishing is favourable, but we must be cautious because it is still active.” He also praised the work of the personnel deployed in Andújar: “Admirable work and coordination of the professionals of the Infoca Plan and of the entire operation.”
In turn, Jesús Estrella, delegate of the Government of the Junta de Andalucía, stated that “right now all efforts are to continue deploying technical means, air means and human means.” For his part, Imanol Fernández, subdelegate of the Government of Spain in Jaén, warned that “the best thing is to stay at home, stay in Andújar.”
WWF had also warned that the forest fire threatened “one of the most important populations of Iberian lynx on the peninsula.” In a statement released on Monday, WWF said that the fire “affects the most important nucleus of Iberian lynx on the Peninsula, located around the El Encinarejo reservoir and the San Miguel ravine.”
It is estimated that there are around 20 specimens in danger in this area, as there are five female territories there, of which four are being affected by the fire and one has been completely destroyed.
It affects 800 hectares and forces the evacuation of 500 people
The forest fire has already affected an area of ”more than 700 hectares” and has a perimeter of “more than 20 kilometres”. It has made it necessary to evacuate “between 400 and 500 people” from the scattered homes in this area, of which around 60 have been relocated to hotels.
This was stated on Monday by the Andalusian Government delegate, Jesús Estrella, in an appearance from the Advanced Command Post. In this enclave, which has been moved to the vicinity of the El Rancho Restaurant, a meeting of the Operational Committee was held earlier to analyse the situation.
At the meeting, with representatives from the various administrations that come together in the Infoca Plan and all the devices that comprise it, it was highlighted that “the fire is still active, with two particularly active areas.” Of these, “the one that has a greater influence of housing is of particular concern.” “It is the area that we know as La Lancha, it is the area where there is currently greater pressure from the fire-fighting services,” Estrella commented.
They ask to avoid the mountains
The Andújar City Council sent a message of “calm” to the citizens in the face of the forest fire that broke out this Sunday near the Encinarejo reservoir and asked them “not to go up” to the so-called “vineyards”, houses scattered in the mountains that during the summer see their population increase. The delegate of the Andalusian Government also made the same request.
Improvements during the early morning
A temperature inversion and the ground work of 15 groups of forest firefighters, two brigades, ten operations technicians, two extinguishing technicians and one supervisor, a total of 150 personnel, served to stop the advance of the flames.
The fire broke out at 3.15pm on Sunday at the Encinarejo reservoir in Andújar, according to Infoca, which has reinforced its air resources in the first hours of action against the flames. Infoca plans to incorporate thirteen air resources into the work on the ground.
In addition, this morning there will be an operations committee meeting and each participant will provide information to coordinate the necessary measures for Monday, according to sources from the 112 emergency service in Andalusia who have informed EFE.
The Minister for the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz, declared the emergency phase, Operational Situation 1, at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, thus raising the pre-emergency level set hours before. The fire also forced the preventive closure of a recreational area near the Encinarejo reservoir on Sunday and ordered residents of some homes in the reservoir area, the area of the Carretera de la Lancha and Los Pinos, to move away.
