Oviedo (EFE).- A total of 375 people have already been evacuated due to the wave of forest fires registered in Asturias, which this Friday adds 121 active sources, according to the latest information provided by the Emergency Service of the Principality of Asturias (SEPA).
The evacuations have been concentrated in the western area, the area hardest hit by the fires, in the councils of Allande, Aller, Belmonte de Miranda, Valdés, Tineo and Villayón, although they have also occurred in Oviedo, Siero and Llanera, in the central area, and in Piloña, in the east.
Barbón: Not even with 5,000 firefighters could we put an end to the wave of fires
The Asturian president, Adrián Barbón, has assured that even if “more than five thousand firefighters” were available to deal with the wave of forest fires registered in Asturias, it would not be possible to put an end to fires generated by “criminals” who act “in organized way” and take advantage of a weather situation of absence of rain and strong winds.
After participating in the meeting of the steering committee of the Emergency Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires of the Principality of Asturias (Infopa), Barbón has appeared before journalists together with the manager of the Asturias Fire Department, Óscar Rodríguez, to admit that, in the current circumstances, the only acceptable objective is to save lives and goods, but not to face extinction.
Reopened the highway that connects Asturias with Galicia
The A-8 motorway, which connects Asturias with Galicia and which had been closed since last midnight between points kilometers 441 and 444 in Cadavedo due to the proliferation of forest fires, has reopened to traffic after 11:00 today, according to The Government Delegation has reported.
For its part, the N-634, which also connects the Principality and Galicia, remains cut off in both directions with no alternative detours, as does the N-632, which connects the Asturian municipalities of Valdés and Ribadesella, and the autonomous highways AS- 351, AS-219 and AS-366.
Another section of the Military Emergency Unit with 50 troops and 20 vehicles has joined the extinguishing work today, adding to the 95 soldiers and 40 media already working in the region.
In addition, another Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade has also been added from Tabuyo, in León, bringing there are now three BRIF deployed on the ground together with the one from Tineo and another from Cáceres.
In the operation, which will add around 700 troops, the Asturias Firefighters, members of forestry companies, the natural environment nursery, Civil Protection volunteers, as well as personnel specialized in investigating the origin of the fires are also working.
arson
The authorities agree that the origin of the wave of fires has been intentional, as in other similar episodes recorded in 2015 and 2017, in which the Civil Guard and the Prosecutor’s Office found that 80 percent of the outbreaks had been intentional.
The Government delegate in Asturias, Delia Losa, affirmed yesterday that the Civil Guard is “clear” that many of the fires have been intentional and “is investigating possible suspects”, although it still lacks “sufficient data to proceed with arrests”. .
Losa guaranteed that, as soon as someone’s involvement is proven, “the full weight of the law” will fall on them, because causing a fire means “an attack against Asturias, against biodiversity and against people”.
In the same sense, the President of the Principality, Adrián Barbón, assured that “all the forcefulness of the law” will fall on “the fire terrorists” who are “burning Asturias” so that they pay for the damage caused “absolutely”.
Barbón, who advocated toughening the penalties established in the Penal Code for these “criminals”, insisted that “it is clear” that the fires “are intentional”, at least in 90 percent of the cases, and that “the issue is to determine the who”.
The wind continues to hinder the extinction tasks
The extinction work was hampered yesterday and the day before yesterday due to the lack of rain, the high temperatures and, above all, the strong gusts of wind of more than 100 kilometers per hour.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts some light rain and scattered showers for this Friday, but in the west, the area hardest hit by the fires, very strong gusts of wind will continue to blow.
