The strong east wind blowing in Tarifa (Cádiz) is complicating the firefighting efforts of a wildfire that broke out this afternoon in a forested area on the outskirts of the Andalusian town. The fire, which originated in an area known as Monte La Peña, has led firefighters to advise about twenty families to leave their homes to avoid being affected by the smoke, although they have not been officially evacuated, according to the mayor of the town, Jose Antonio Santos. Gusts of wind in the Strait, reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour, are complicating the firefighting efforts. The alert for the fire was declared after 1:00 pm, although it was at 6:00 pm when the councilor of the Junta de Andalucía and director of the Infoca Plan, Antonio Sanz, activated the pre-emergency phase of the Forest Fire Emergency Plan of the community. This phase does not yet involve the evacuation of homes, according to sources from the Junta in Cádiz. People who have left their homes in the area known as Cuatro Molinos and Casas de Porro “have been invited to move away due to the smoke,” as Santos explained. However, the mayor of Tarifa expressed his confidence that they will be able to return to their homes in the next few hours, as the front affecting that area “seems to be under control.”
The strong east wind that has been battering the province of Cádiz since Saturday and maintaining a yellow alert in the Strait is complicating the firefighting efforts of a fire affecting forested areas of low mountain and farmland on different fronts. It has also forced the evacuation of animals and livestock, as Santos added. In the area, firefighters from the Consortium of Firefighters of the Province of Cádiz and seven groups of forest firefighters, four reinforcement brigades against fires, up to 17 aerial means (including helicopters, planes, and seaplanes), and five fire engines deployed by the Infoca Plan are present. In the deployment, in which the mayor of Tarifa is present, members of the Civil Guard, Local Police, and health services are also participating.
The causes that have originated the fire and the total extent of the flames have not been disclosed. “It will be hundreds of hectares,” dares to assess the mayor of Tarifa, who has expressed hope that the decrease in wind speed that is being experienced at dusk will help contain the different hotspots. The smoke column from the fire is visible from various points in the Strait, such as from the town of Tarifa itself or the Valdevaqueros beach, as reported by the local media Europasur. The Andalusian government presented this Monday in Almonte (Huelva) the prevention and firefighting campaign of the Infoca Plan, which this year will have more firefighters and more money for firefighting. The operation, which will run until October 15, will have 4,700 personnel and fewer aircraft (a total of 35), after failing to award the contract allowing for up to seven more aircraft. In total, the deployment has a budget of 244 million, 11% more than the previous year.
