The Generalitat Firefighters are working with more than 70 teams and 200 personnel this Sunday afternoon on a new forest vegetation fire in the Vall d’Infern, in Aiguamúrcia (Tarragona), which forces the confinement of the population centers of Ranxos de Bonany, Bon Any, Valldossera, Can Llenes, Mas Gassons, El Mas Vermell, and Pontons. The fire is advancing strongly and already affects about 80 hectares of forest land in the municipalities of Aiguamúrcia and Querol (Alt Camp) and Pontons (Alt Penedès).
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The fire burns intensely, emits secondary spots about 200 meters away, and advances at a speed of 2 kilometers per hour. For the safety of the population, at 16:47 hours a confinement order has been issued that includes the municipalities and urbanizations of Bonany, Valldossera, Mas Bermell, and Can Llenes, in Querol; Mas Gassons, in Aiguamúrcia; La Laguna and Torrelles de Foix. The confinements are continuously monitored in case it is necessary to extend them.
The alert arose at 15:57 h. Immediately, up to 51 teams of Generalitat Firefighters have been mobilized, 9 of them aerial, and about 200 personnel of the Corps. The fire moves northwest and crossed the first planned confinement axis, the T-224 road, although it is expected that other sections of the road will serve to stop the flames. Nearby, there is a field area where heavy machinery is being directed. Aerial means work on both flanks: on the left, which is being prioritized and where the advance must be stopped because it is moving towards the urbanizations; on the right, where there are secondary spots. Efforts are also concentrated to prevent expansion and runs at the tail. Two large-capacity planes from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge have been requested. It also has the support of the ADF volunteers.
According to the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, the temperature in the fire area is approximately 32ºC, the relative humidity is 30%, and maximum wind gusts of 28 kilometers per hour occur.
According to data from Rural Agents, the fire started in the municipality of Aiguamúrcia and affects an area of about 80 hectares, all forest land, according to provisional figures. It also affects the municipalities of Querol and Pontons (Alt Penedès). According to calculations made by the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) unit, 97.37% of the affected area is wooded and the rest is scrubland. The Rural Agents continue working on the ground and with the Aerial Support Group to assess the fire’s impact.
The Catalan Traffic Service reports that circulation on the T-244 road between Aiguamúrcia and Querol is completely restricted due to this fire.
The Generalitat Civil Protection sent an ES-Alert at 17:10 hours to request the confinement of the municipalities of Aiguamúrcia, La Laguna, Pontons, Querol, and Torrelles de Foix, with a total approximate population of 2,500 people. It has been requested to close doors and windows and not to circulate in the area. It is reminded that, in case of emergency, it is necessary to call 112.
You can follow all information related to forest fires through the Generalitat Firefighters’ social network X @bomberscat, on the website incendisforestals.gencat.cat, and with the Firefighters’ action viewer.
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Among the deployed personnel are members of the Forest Action Group (Graf) and the Active Forest Prevention Team (Epaf), and they have the help of the Forest Defense Groups (ADF) in the area.
This fire occurs after the one started last Wednesday in Pla de Manlleu, also in Aiguamúrcia, which is already controlled by the firefighters.
A dozen fires
Meanwhile, the Generalitat Firefighters continue working this Sunday on more than a dozen forest fires that have broken out in recent days, both in extinguishing and in controlling so that hot spots do not reignite, including those in Camarasa (Lleida), already controlled, Mont-roig del Camp (Tarragona), Pla de Manlleu (Tarragona), and Guimerà (Lleida).
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Sources from the Firefighters have informed EFE that the fire that started yesterday in Camarasa is controlled after burning 21.8 hectares, according to data from the Rural Agents.
In this fire, 24 teams are working while the confinement in force since yesterday in the small nucleus of Fontllonga was lifted this morning.
The fire that also started yesterday in Mont-roig del Camp is also controlled after burning seven hectares, according to the Rural Agents.
The fire in Pla de Manlleu, between Aiguamúrcia and Sant Jaum dels Domenys, in Tarragona, is also controlled after affecting 89 hectares. The fire in Guimerà is also stabilized, where 409 hectares have burned.
The fire that started on the 8th in Gavà (Barcelona) is controlled and has burned eight hectares, as well as the one in Navarcles (Barcelona), which is also controlled and has affected 53 hectares.
The fire in Sentmenat (Barcelona) is also controlled, although work continues there this Sunday, where 181 hectares have burned.
Closed natural spaces
The Rural Agents maintain restricted access this Sunday to eight natural spaces due to the extreme risk of forest fire.
These are Montsec d’Ares; Montsec de Rúbies; Baronia de Rialb; Ribera Salada; Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac; Montserrat; Montmell-Marmellar; and Montsant.
Likewise, 72 municipalities in 14 Catalan counties are at red level due to extreme fire risk and 187 localities in 20 counties are at orange level, due to high forest fire risk.
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