The evolution of the great Beijis fire in the Valencia region, in eastern Spain, is favorable and its progress has been contained, emergency services and authorities announced this Saturday.
“The fire is evolving favorably. There are no flames in most of the perimeter,” the Valencian Community’s emergency services tweeted at the beginning of the day. They had to work “in difficult-to-access ravines where there were flames.”
The president of the Valencian Community, Ximo Puig, has also announced that “the evolution of the Beijis fire is favorable and the advance of the fire has been contained”.
Evacuations maintained for the moment
The National Security Directorate indicated for its part that the fire spread over 135 km and that the preventive evacuation of 2,200 neighboring residents was maintained, as well as the confinement of some 1,500 people in two towns, Alcublas and Andilla.
Hundreds of firefighters with the reinforcement of helicopters and planes are fighting this fire that, which began this Monday in the province of Castellón, is dangerously close to the Sierra Calderona natural park.
The Beijis fire broke out two days after the Vall d’Ebo fire, in the same region, and together they caused the evacuation of 3,000 people. The showers that fell in the middle of the week allowed the Vall d’Ebo fire to be overcome on Friday, but the Bejis fire remained active.
Open investigation for an incident related to the fire
At the same time, the Police opened an investigation, as well as within the railway company Renfe and the operator Adif, for an incident that caused a dozen injuries, three of them seriously, during the circulation of a train carrying a fifty travelers on Tuesday. afternoon in the area affected by the Bejis fire.
The train driver, who was leaving Valencia for Zaragoza, had not been alerted to the danger and had to turn around in the face of the flames. But before the maneuver was carried out, the passengers panicked, screaming in terror and asking for help, some breaking the windows of the train to escape on foot, according to images broadcast on television.
17,500 hectares destroyed
According to data from the satellites of the European Copernicus program released this Saturday, the Beijis fire devoured 17,500 hectares and the Vall d’Ebo fire some 9,300 hectares.
Since the beginning of the year, Spain has suffered 391 forest fires that have claimed 283,000 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), more than triple the number in 2021.
According to scientists, global warming increases the probability of heat waves, droughts and, in turn, fires.
Source: BFM TV
