What's in the news?.

[Sparky]

Although PP dodged the storm yesterday Alcudia didn't and lightning strikes started 2 forest fires, as reported in the Sofocan dos pequeños incendios causados por sendos rayos en Alcúdia - Diario de Mallorca.

Yesterday's storm that dumped about Alcúdia caused two small forest fires caused by two rays. Shortly before half-past four in the afternoon and with just three minutes apart two fires were started in the Puig de Sant Martí ys'Albufereta. In both cases, air and ground troops mobilized the Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat) and the Bombers of Mallorca.
s'Albufereta The fire burned about 3,000 square meters of scrub and was drowned at half past six p.m., Ibanat sources reported. The Puig de Sant Martí was extinguished at five affected only a small area of forest.

 

[Meerkat]

We saw the lightning strikes and then a plume of smoke across the bay and heard the sirens very soon afterwards Very relieved no one was hurt.

 

[Sparky]

I am afraid there is another serious fire on the island , this from the UH Los equipos de extinción luchan por controlar un gran incendio en Cala Torta » Noticias » Sucesos » Ultima Hora Mallorca, there are some photos if you follow the link :-

Forest fires do not let the fire equipment and fire threat back to the Island around 22 am, sources Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat) warned of the declaration of a Level 1 fire, of large, in the Parc Natural de Llevant, specifically in the area of ​​Cala Torta, in the town of Arta. At the moment about 450 acres have burned nearly six linear miles.
Quickly, the Bombers parks de Mallorca, Manacor, Arta and Alcùdia got underway, with all available personnel of Ibanat, Police, Local Police Capdepera, local police officials Arta and the Directorate General d ' Emergències.
The Bombers de Mallorca reported that the fire affected areas of Cala Mesquida, Cala Torta and the cami moved Can Barbassa direction of Cala Ratjada.
On the one hand, the strength of extinction managed to make a barrier and contain the fire that spread through Cala Mesquida, but fought hard to try not to advance the flames Can agritourism address Barbassa.
"The magnitude of the fire and the devastating effect of it is so great that from Menorca fire within sight," pointed extinction technicians were involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, the local police and Arta Capdepera, and Civil Guard cordoned off the area and conducted security perimeters in order to avoid endangering human lives.
Eviction
About 180 people have been evacuated, including a farmhouse and different homes. So reported the 112 Emergency Service in his Twitter account, which also has detailed some of the evacuees were at their second home, so they are back to their residence. Moreover, the City Council has offered Capdepera their sports for the rest of people who have nowhere to spend the night. An operative of 60 people worked on the ground overnight in fire fighting tasks. The air assets have joined this morning at firefighting.

In total 11/2 involving air and 130 troops of the Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat). In addition, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) has moved to the area 80 troops of the III Battalion Emergency Intervention (BIEM III) based in Bétera (Valencia), as reported by the Ministry of Defence. staff movement performed with four helicopters HU-27 "Cougar" Emergency Battalion II (BHELEME II) of the Army, under operational control of the Commanding General of the EMU. Two of these helicopters will change later as a second mission, to setting forest fire fighting for which they are adapted to release the water cart (bambi bucket.) They will be joined along the morning a light helicopter HU -26, with command and control functions, and CL-415 firefighting aircraft 'Canadair' Group 43 Army Air Forces Air. EMU's presence has been authorized by the Directorate General for Defence Policy (DIGENPOL ) at the request of the Directorate General of Civil Protection and Emergency and in turn requested by the Balearic Government.

 

[Sparky]

Update on the latest fire.

Google translation from the DDM here :- El incendio de Cala Torta queda estabilizado tras arrasar 479 hectáreas - Diario de Mallorca

Environment worked in the area until managing to contain the fire. The fire, which caused no injuries or property damaged, he stabilized yesterday afternoon but by ground crews were still working on the ground to smother flare-ups and cool the burned area.
The fire started between nine-thirty and ten o'clock at night Tuesday in a stream close to the beach of Cala Torta. The strong Tramontana wind blowing flames then pushed inland and uphill southwest direction, toward sa Duaia. The biggest concern was advancing toward the flank and risked Capdepera Cala Mesquida, where there were 2,000 tourists in hotels and dozens of vacationers in private homes. The fire spread quickly and its glow could be seen from many of Mallorca and Menorca.

The darkness prevented liza put air environments, so that fire fighting was fought on land and melee until dawn. Twenty-five of the Bombers effective Mallorca-comers of the parks of Arta, Manacor, Alcudia and Inca-and three brigades, two fire and three tanks of Ibanat went to the site in the early hours and Civil Protection clusters of Arta , Capdepera, Sant Llorenç, Maria de la Salut, Manacor, Montuïri, sa Pobla, Son Servera, Santa Margalida i Vilafranca. But the fire, declared Level 1, further progress greedy and out of control inland. The road to Cala cake was cut and limited access to Cala Mesquida.
Around midnight we chose to start evict the residents. In Cala Mesquida residential area was evacuated and was enabled Capdepera sports center if needed to welcome 2,000 tourists staying overnight in hotels. Local Police and Civil Guard are also toured Terrassa to get from their homes to the inhabitants of several scattered houses and emptied the Duaia sa restaurant. They did the same in Son Barbassa, whose farm did not become dislodged but where they worked to contain and cool the perimeter and moved to clients of the rooms closest to the front, and are Cutri. A total of 180 people evicted. Almost everyone was in second homes and chose to go home, so sports center was empty Capdepera. The Government was quick to ask for outside help. The UME mobilized two helicopters early base Bétera (Valencia), who came to the island with 40 people on board to join the fire night work.

If the edge of Cala Mesquida worried about the risk posed to people, advancing toward the Parc Natural de Llevant spread fear of another natural disaster in the protected area. It was feared that the flames were able to cross the road to Cala Torta, which served as a firewall, peer into the pine Aubarca and Verger.

The wind was complicating both firefighters work eventually became the best ally. At about two in the morning subsided the Tramontana and the gusts began to blow in the opposite direction, towards the sea and the ground and burned. They also helped the temperatures lower than on previous nights. This change in the situation was a relief for fire equipment. The Parc de Llevant seemed already to be safe, even in front of Cala Mesquida should continue to be used to fund.

At dawn, with the addition of air assets, began the final battle against the fire. Two seaplanes, five helicopters, three cargo planes on the ground and coordinating aircraft joined the ground fighting, which involved five brigades, two fire and a vehicle Ibanat mothership, effective three parks in Mallorca and the Bombers a battalion with 40 soldiers arrived from Valencia EMU. In total, 150 people in the morning, struggled against the flames. A first afternoon most of the perimeter of the fire was stabilized. The air assets left, the evicted residents were able to return to their homes and the road was reopened Cala Torta. A hundred volunteers and firefighters continued stifling cooling the ground until the fire was completely stabilized at six in the afternoon, allowing lowering the level of severity of the fire to a minimum. It was expected that about 25 troops continue to work all night and today the fire it was to be controlled.


The fire has destroyed 479 hectares, according to official figures, of which 242 belong to Arta and Capdepera 238. The 95 percent of the land affected was scrub and pine Garbello and other young replanted after fires in recent decades. The public estate Duaia lost sa 227 acres, half of its surface.
The fire of Cala Torta 479 is stabilized after sweeping acres
The fire was at the gates of the Parc Natural de Llevant and burned half the public estate sa Duaia - About 180 people were evacuated in a tense morning by the rapid advance of the flames - Firefighters, supported by dozens of media arrived from the mainland, managed by the morning and still contain their advance field cooling

And also from the DDM here :- La Guardia Civil sospecha que el origen del fuego fue intencionado - Diario de Mallorca

The Civil Guard suspected that the origin of the fire was intentional
Several accidents have always started in the same place, in the basement of a torrent in Cala Torta

22/08/2013 | 6:50
The point where the fire started on Tuesday night in a ravine very close to the beach of Cala Torta, cordoned off pending the Civil Guard officers inspect it.
The point where the fire started on Tuesday night in a ravine very close to the beach of Cala Torta, cordoned off pending the Civil Guard officers inspect it. G. Bosch
B. Palau / M. Ollés. Palma Civil Guard suspected that the large forest fire that was declared Tuesday night in Arta and Capdepera, which has devastated 479 hectares of scrubland, was intentional. The agents of the Protection of Nature (Seprona) Armed Institute have put together a series of clues that point to the origin of the fire was intentional. Technicians Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat), involved in the investigation, also were favored by this thesis yesterday afternoon.

After analyzing the first data collected in the burned area, the main hypothesis is that agents handled behind this claim is the hand of man. However, investigations are still ongoing and did not rule out other hypotheses.

The Civil Guards Seprona and Ibanat specialists inspected the burnt mountain yesterday and found two points where the flames originated. This is the underside of a stream that flows into Cala Torta, virtually at the level of the beach. The experts cordoned off the two areas, barely one meter distance from each other. Yesterday was unknown if the fire started simultaneously in these two points after someone had set fire on both sides or moved from one place to another to spread rapidly by wind effect.

One of the most relevant is that the location where the fire started on Tuesday shortly before ten o'clock at night is the same as that of other incidents of similar characteristics that took place years ago in Arta. Thus, for example, the great fire of 1992, which ended with 1,960 acres burned, started at the foot of the torrent of Cala Torta. And another fire declared in 2011, which could be controlled at once, also originated in that point of the runway. In addition, several of the claims that have punished the Arta area harshly in the past twenty years a pattern match.

As noted yesterday knowledgeable experts and Llevant Peninsula, it seems that we chose the perfect night to set fire to the mountain. The fire started in the basement of the stream, along a road, with good escape, taking advantage Tramuntana wind blew, pushing uphill fire. The strong gusts provided that the incident would spread quickly. In addition, the time seems strange that began shortly before ten o'clock at night when the temperatures had dropped and air assets and could not act. Although the fire spread into the night, early morning yesterday the moon was full, so we had some clarity on the mountain. Luckily, the wind turned in the right time and at the heart of Cala Mesquida was saved.

 

[Belladonna]

The amount of resources being called upon is incredible! Such a worry to think of all the firefighters involved in such close proximity to the fire too. There is going to be a real difference in the landscape for a few years after all these fires again, such a shame.

 

[its cd]

Puerto Pollensa Promenade to get a 1.2 million euro makeover

 

[varsp]

When is work commencing on the new promenade and extension of the cycle lane, and how long will the work take.

 

[Tetley]

I didn't even know the plans had been passed and the go ahead given. Have I been asleep?

 

[Sparky]

The last i heard was that they are still in the consultation stage so no starting date has been announced yet.

 

[varsp]

I'd read, that parking will only be allowed on the side of the road next to the buildings. Where will all the other cars park ? Usually, both sides of the road are pretty much parked nose to tail , especially in high season.

 

[Sparky]

Obviously the question of parking is going to be a big part of the consultation .

 

[JMD40]

To be honest, if they continue with their plans on stopping all the `illegal´renting then they will not need a pedestrian promenade as there will be very few pedestrians a`nd plenty of parking!

 

[Tetley]

Might be a little lateral thinking but JMD's comments made me think, yes there will, think of the thousand's of visitors at the P.Park, but then I thought of AI !!
The real question though is, has anything come of the plans for another hotel behind/alongside the P. Park? Sparky, if this question should be somewhere else, please re-direct.

 

[Sparky]

The real question though is, has anything come of the plans for another hotel behind/alongside the P. Park? Sparky, if this question should be somewhere else, please re-direct.

Tony, i have not heard or read anything about this recently.

 

[majprop]

May I point out that project has not been accepted or passed by the regional goverment yet, I am refering to the coast road from La Gola to the where the by-pass meets the coast road, as far as I am aware it has so far only been accepted by the local town hall and would include, according to the plans that I have seen, a pedestrian walkway where it is now, then a bicycle lane and a one way road but I am not sure in which direction.

 

[Sparky]

I posted a newspaper article and photo of the proposed layout on page 31 of this thread .

 

[Sparky]

This from the MDB :- Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Mass crackdown on drinking and driving this week.

With thousands of people expected to be out and about making the most of the final weekend of the August summer holidays this weekend, the region’s Local Police forces will be mounting a massive anti-drink driving campaign.

Yesterday, the Local Police stated that 49 checkpoints are going to be thrown up across the Balearics. All of the controls are going to set up simultaneously, the Local Police confirmed yesterday.

The controls are going to be mounted in nearly every municipality in Majorca, 37 out of 39 while they will also be widespread in Minorca, Ibiza and even Formentera.

This is the second massive crackdown of the Summer.

 

[mike_dublin]

No rental car tax ...

[Google Translate]

Car tax is off the table in Mallorca - Mallorca Zeitung (German) -
Mietwagensteuer auf Mallorca ist vom Tisch - Mallorca Zeitung

Car tax is off the table in Mallorca
Premier: The economic situation has improved
18.09.2013 20:44 |

The car tax on Mallorca is off the table. As the Balearic Minister Jose Ramon Bauza (Popular Party, PP) on Wednesday (18.9.) Announced that the controversial green taxes will not be introduced. The fees are no longer necessary in view of the improvement of the economic situation and the flexibility in the deficit targets.

...

 

[sws97sdg]

The fees are no longer necessary in view of the improvement of the economic situation and the flexibility in the deficit targets.

That's a very bold statement!!!! I hope they are right

 

[Sparky]

I think it's a "face-saving statement", the threat of legal action may have had something to do with it .