The fire devastates Galicia: a wave of 30 fires burns 4,000 hectares and threatens several populations

Thirty forest fires burn Galicia, of which seventeen remain active, with a situation of real risk for the population in eleven points spread across the provinces of Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra.

Some 350 brigades, 220 motor pumps, forty blades and about twenty aerial means of the Xunta and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment work from the early hours in the Galician community to fight fires that devastate more than 4,000 hectares in 146 New spotlights since Friday.

The Military Emergency Unit (UME), after the decree of operational status one in Galicia by the Ministry of Interior, has deployed three hundred soldiers in the territory and will continue this morning until half a thousand.

Seventeen fires remain active in the community, spread across the four provinces, while there are three others stabilized and ten more controlled after the extinction of four.

Among the assets there are eleven in situation two, of real risk for the populated nuclei, which increases the danger in these areas.

The only active fire in the province of A Coruña is in Boiro, in the parish of Cures, where situation two was deactivated early today.

Lugo is on alert for risk to the population the fire of Donís, in Cervantes, in full reserve of the biosphere of Os Ancares, where neighbors fear losing their homes and say they are “surrounded” by the flames while they report that there are missing media.

The fires of Samos, Renche Parish, are also active; Friol, in Xía; Triacastela, homonymous parish; and Antas de Ulla, in Areas.

In Ourense, situation two is a fire in San Cristovo de Cea, in Oseira, due to proximity to Pieles; another in Baños de Molgas, in Betán, due to its proximity to Nevoeiro; and a third in Chandrexa de Queixa, in Chaveán, due to proximity to Vilamaior, in the neighboring municipality of Castro Caldelas.

They also burn Vilar de Barrio, where the fire has begun in Rebordechau and has spread to the municipality of Montederramo; and Piñor, in Coiras.

In Pontevedra there are five fires in situation two, with that of Ponteareas, which began in Padróns, as the most important after extending to the municipalities of Redondela, Soutomaior and Pazos de Borbén, with 1,500 hectares, with the risk in the latter, in Nespereira.

The fires of Paradela (Lugo), homonymous parish, remain stabilized; Cervantes (Lugo), in Noceda; and Vilariño de Conso (Ourense), in Chaguazoso.

The fires of O Saviñao (Lugo), in Ribas de Miño, are controlled; Chantada, in Esmeriz; Vilardevós (Ourense), Vilariño de Conso, in Sabuguido and Castiñeira; Vilamarín, homonymous parish; Chandrexa de Queixa, in Queixa; Lobios, with two in Rio Caldo; and Paderne (A Coruña), in Cantoña.

The flames have been extinguished in San Cristovo de Cea (Ourense), in Covas; Vilariño de Conso, in San Cristovo; Cualedro (Lugo), in Montes; and Courelo de Courel, in Meiraos.

The president of the Xunta, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, explained today that the Galician autonomous community is in a “complex situation” because it coincides with a “homicidal incendiary activity”, a “persistent drought” and a lack of control in fires in northern Portugal that, for the first time, “jump the Minho”.

The Minister of Rural Affairs, Ángeles Vázquez, believes that the fires have been caused and the Galician opposition groups have accused the Xunta of lack of prevention.

At the national level, the political representatives of the PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos, have expressed their concern this afternoon through social networks about the fires and have transmitted their support to the extinction teams.

While the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA) has decided to send 29 aerial means and 4 brigades of reinforcement against fires to support Galicia, Castilla y León and Principality of Asturias.

By the way, it is precisely in the Principality where the flames threaten the largest and best preserved oak grove in Spain, located in the Muniellos Reserve, endangered by the declared fire of Ibias, which still cannot be controlled in the face of strong and changing gusts of wind.

In the early hours of the night, the fire declared five days ago in Fondos de Vega, in the council of Degaña, was still active and uncontrolled, with a front that has reached over a kilometer in length.

In addition to these two, early in the night there were another 13 fires active, and four more that were already controlled, mostly in municipalities in the Asturian southwest.