The fire gives a truce
The content experts consider 80% the fire, which had destroyed 1,800 hectares - Arrested the brother of the first accused for causing the fire a toast - A soldier of the EMU, hospitalized after suffering dehydration.
After four days of a titanic struggle, the fire that ripped a huge extension of the Serra de Tramuntana, the provisional calculations were lowered yesterday to 1,800 hectares, began yesterday to compromise on its push. The technical content considered 80 percent of the perimeter and just a big fire front remained active on the farm is Galatzó. There he concentrated attack yesterday 29/2 air, operating the largest ever deployed extinction Islands, hoping to get along to stop it today. Meanwhile, the Civil Guard arrested yesterday the alleged perpetrator of the fire, which happened to be a brother of the accused on Friday, and that would have thrown the mountain toast embers of the previous day.
In the early hours of yesterday a large fire front stepped into the public estate is Galatzó, one of the landmarks of the island. Fighting equipment concentrated in a frantic effort to stop it. In the area, very rough and no access for wheeled vehicles, was crucial intervention with air assets. And there were launched 29 aircraft and helicopters mobilized for disaster, with an ability to download a million liters per hour. Also were taken by helicopter about sixty members fighting equipment, operating from land.
By nightfall yesterday, when they retired air assets, this front was active, while the rest of the perimeter-to 80% - remained stable. Those responsible for the operation had been considered "a giant step" toward the ultimate control of the sinister.
Technicians were hoping to get fully stabilize over today, what would be the first step to extinction. However, given the sheer magnitude of the loss, maintaining a great caution. The burned area was so great that any change of wind could cause dangerous flare-ups.
The good performance of the fire allowed Estellencs neighbors, who were evicted in a hurry in the morning on Sunday, return to their homes yesterday. Some four hundred people celebrated with joy the return on the streets of the town.
The fourth day of the operation concentrated in the mountains of Mallorca the largest deployment ever seen off a forest fire. At 29 aircraft had to add the five hundred people working on the ground. They were the Ibanat brigade, fire and Palma de Mallorca, Civil Defence volunteers and 243 soldiers of the Military Emergency Unit (UME). If fire conditions improved, some of the latter could return today to their base in Valencia.
Precisely one of the soldiers of the EMU was hospitalized Sunday night after suffering kidney failure, apparently as a result of dehydration while working on extinction. He was flown by medical vehicle of EMU to a clinic in Palma, where remained admitted yesterday. Sanitary Sources indicated that in principle his condition was not serious.
The medical services of the fire had displaced 061 to attend yesterday morning also a firefighter injured in a hand. Since starting the fire, on Friday, twelve people had to receive treatment, most team members of extinction, with mild symptoms of poisoning by smoke, dehydration or shock.
And yesterday afternoon the Department of Protection of Nature (Seprona) Civil Guard arrested the alleged perpetrator of the worst fire ever declared Islands. It is a neighbor of Andratx 44, Ignacio GH, brother of the man who was originally accused last Friday. The Civil Guard investigators have concluded that the origin of the fire was in the embers of a toast on day before were in a wheelbarrow.
Estimates of the area affected by the fire are still provisional. Technicians downgraded yesterday the 1,800 hectares and still vary.
The road from Andratx to Estellencs, seventeen miles walking a desolate landscape by fire, remained closed to traffic yesterday.
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How could anybody be so careless with hot coals!
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