Balearic reinforcements protect an urban area in León and extinguish a house fire.

PalmThe Balearic Islands reinforcements deployed to the Iberian Peninsula are already working in an area between León and Ourense with up to five active fires. The coordinator of the Emergency contingent deployed to the fire zone, Pedro Ladaria, explained that the latest actions this Wednesday focused on protecting an urban center in a forested area in a valley in Villa Rubín.

Ladaria explained that the work was done manually with the help of two pick-up trucks (light vehicles), but large trucks could not be used, as the condition of the roads made them impassable.

In addition, they had to provide a couple of medical assistance to civilian personnel and attended to a fire that had caught fire in a house. "It wasn't a big fire, but we had to act," he explained.

For his part, the Director General of Emergencies, Pablo Gárriz, explained that since 11:00 a.m. this Wednesday, the bulk of the teams deployed to Gestoso (León), near the province of Ourense, were already collaborating in the efforts to extinguish a fire that covered a perimeter of seventeen kilometers.

Due to the nature of the fire, operations had to be readjusted. He explained that two fire engines are assigned to urban areas, while the remaining equipment was deployed to the perimeters and flanks of the fire.

The first to arrive on the Peninsula, by helicopter and supported by the Air Force, joined the work around 8:00 a.m. The director general praised the effort made to transport all the teams, which have arrived in the area in recent hours without significant incidents. "They have traveled 900 kilometers almost nonstop, but with adequate rest periods," he indicated. Those who departed from Ibiza arrived around 4:00 a.m., while those from Barcelona, ​​​​Menorca, and Mallorca arrived at 6:00 a.m.

Plane in Extremadura

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has sent a seaplane to Extremadura as part of the Balearic Government's forest firefighting operation to support the efforts to extinguish the fires seriously affecting this area, specifically Jarilla.

The mobilized aircraft, an Air Tractor Fire Boss model, is specially designed to extinguish forest fires. The Balearic contingent is made up of technicians from the General Directorate of Emergencies and the Interior, firefighters from Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza, environmental agents, emergency telecommunications technicians and from the Sampol company, SAMU 061 teams, and Civil Protection volunteers from Llucmajor, Montuïri, Vilafranca, Porreres, Sant Antoni de Portmany, and Lloseta.

Twenty-one specialized vehicles are also available, including heavy vehicles with fire engines, open-top fire-fighting trucks, and other light vehicles carrying materials, hand tools, and supplies. The unit also has an advanced life support ambulance and a medical vehicle.