Fire in Niebla (Huelva): 'Beyond control' and over 600 evacuated

Wildfire in Niebla (Huelva): 'Beyond Containment Capacity' and Over 600 Evacuated

The wildfire that began in Niebla, Huelva, has already spread over more than 20,000 hectares and is now "beyond containment capacity," according to reports. Additionally, over 600 people have been evacuated from Los Ángeles de San Rafael, Vegas de Matute (Segovia), and Catí (Castellón).

First Vice-President and Minister of the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies for the Andalusian Government, Antonio Sanz, warned that extinguishing the fire will be a "marathon with obstacles" that will last several days. According to Sanz, weather conditions have worsened "dramatically" since early morning, ahead of expectations. "The combination of strong south-westerly winds, the complex terrain of ravines, and the premature appearance of convective phenomena, which generate large pyrocumulus clouds, is causing secondary fire spots to jump several kilometres in all directions," he explained.

This new wind change "completely destroys our attack strategy, reverses it, and we have to redirect resources and implement other strategies," Sanz noted. As a result, the flames have spread and will continue to do so in the coming days. "It's a marathon filled with obstacles and challenges that we must face under truly complex and dangerous circumstances," he emphasised.

Regarding the resources being used, more than 600 personnel are involved, and plans are in place to increase aerial means to 26 to combat the fire. Additionally, five roads remain closed: HU-3106, A-493, HU-5104, HU-4103, and HU-6104. The safety of firefighters and specialists is the top priority at this time, given the situation's "extraordinary complexity."

Ignacio Quintanilla, head of the Territorial Environmental Service, explained that the Navas de San Antonio fire in Segovia maintains an IGR (Potential Gravity Index) level 2, while the Revenga fire in Segovia remains at IGR 1. In both cases, the evolution is influenced by the wind, although forecasts indicate lower speeds and gusts compared to those registered on Sunday when the situation worsened and residents were evacuated.

Residents of the Segovian municipalities of Los Ángeles de San Rafael and Vegas de Matute remain evacuated for the next few hours due to the Navas de San Antonio fire. A total of 176 people spent the night in reception points set up in El Espinar, Zarzuela del Monte, and Villacastín, though there were more evacuees who came to these places for dinner and then moved to relatives' homes or second residences.

Quintanilla indicated that the perimeter of the Navas de San Antonio fire is "more or less anchored," although the high rockiness and rocky outcrops have prevented machinery from being used throughout the perimeter. In Revenga, however, perimeter work was possible with heavy machinery, except for the dam wall, where work is being done with water trucks, hose lines, ground equipment, and helicopter drops.

Regarding the origin of the Revenga fire, the head of Environmental Services noted that no hypothesis has been considered yet and ruled out, for now, that it could be a reactivation of the fire recorded in the same area on Thursday.

The Cecopi will reconvene at 5 pm, coinciding with the period when the most adverse wind conditions were recorded on Sunday, to decide, based on the evolving weather and reports from firefighting technicians, whether to authorise the return of evacuated residents.

Meanwhile, the Castilla y León Government criticised the Subdelegation of the Government in Segovia on Monday for failing to inform them yesterday about the water supply cut that occurred last night in the area of the municipality of El Espinar, affected by the Navas de San Antonio fire and where some of the evacuees are located. After the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI) meeting, the territorial delegate of the Government in Segovia, Raquel Alonso, explained that the lack of water in El Espinar was related to the proximity of the flames from the other fire declared in the province of Segovia, the Revenga fire, to the water pumping station. Alonso explained that the Junta learned of this cut "this morning," despite it occurring during Sunday evening, and considered that the information should have been conveyed to Cecopi "through the appropriate institutional channels."

With these circumstances, the evolution of the fire in the coming days and the possibility of resuming effective firefighting efforts remain pending. The safety of firefighters and preventing further evacuations will be priorities in decisions made in the coming hours.

Piece prepared by the newsroom from cross-checked sources in several countries.