Santiago de Compostela (Spain), 1 Apr (EFE).-A fire declared Saturday in the Spanish region of Galicia (Northwest) has affected far more than 700 hectares of natural park of high ecological value, regional government sources reported today to Efe.
Of the 700 affected hectares, some 500 are woodland, according to sources.
Fire in the natural park of the Fragas do Eume, in the municipality of A Capela, stays active with an alert level 1, the most high, due to the proximity of the flames to housing.
The Mayor of A Capela, Manuel Meizoso, however, has assured us speaking to a local radio station that the flames have already devoured some 2,000 hectares.
A total of 224 soldiers of the unit military in emergencies (EMU) working in the extinction of the fire next to twenty forest brigades, which have the support of five helicopters and four airplanes, means that will increase throughout the morning, according to the regional government sources.
About 200 people had to be evicted this Saturday in several villages close to the fire, which fueled rapidly by the strong wind, which did not cease blowing during the day and complicated the work of extinction brigades.
The fire brigade sources told Efe that the fire was “under control”, but pointed out that the fire has been divided into several foci.
Regional President of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, today visited the municipalities affected by the fire.
Different sources have confirmed that the fire has seriously affected the natural park of the Eume, a protected Atlantic forest that spans the entire basin of the River Eume on an area of 9,000 hectares and one of the most visited points in the region.
The Spanish Civil Guard keeps cut since yesterday the accesses to the natural park and it has evicted the monastery of Caaveiro, a monastery from the 12th century on top of a mound in full forest that had been rehabilitated recently and that was one of the most spectacular places of Galicia.
The State Meteorological Agency not just expected rains in the coming hours in the area.
On the other hand, already have been controlled three other fires in the region, which have calcined in total more than 130 hectares of Mount, while a quarter that has already devastated more than 20 hectares remains active.
Strength of the unit military emergency (EMU) have been incorporated into the work of extinguishing the fire in the La Coruña municipality of A Capela (Spain). EFE
