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Date Published: 02/08/2024

El Valle wildfire extinguished after burning through 11 hectares of land

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Investigators believe that the central Murcia fire was started by a person, although arson is unlikely

El Valle wildfire extinguished after burning through 11 hectares of land

Shortly after 5pm on Thursday August 1, the emergency services in Murcia were bombarded with calls from panicked residents as thick plumes of black smoke emerged close to the El Valle Natural Park in central Murcia. After working through the night, firefighters have thankfully brought the blaze under control.

The fire broke out in the El Sequén area of La Alberca, to the south of the city of Murcia, on the way to Corvera and El Valle Golf Resort. At one point, the flames licked so close to homes that several residents fled as a precaution.

At around 10pm on Thursday, the fire was considered under control by the firefighters, but several teams remained on site overnight to extinguish any remaining hot spots. In all, according to Murcia City Council, the forest fire destroyed around 11 hectares of the countryside.

↪️Actualizamos la información sobre el incendio de El Valle.

Más de 100 efectivos ya se han desplazado a la zona y están realizando todos los trabajos necesarios para su estabilización. pic.twitter.com/RevRrn9j3c
— José Ballesta (@Ballesta_Murcia) August 1, 2024

Helicopters returned to the area at dawn to survey the land from the air and ensure that every spark had been put out.

Once the land has been declared safe, an urgent investigation will be opened to determine the cause of the fire, but disturbingly, the authorities are already leaning towards the possibility that the blaze was not a natural event. They have reason to be sceptical, as since January, there have already been more than 10 arson attempts in the El Valle vicinity.

However, in this case, investigators feel that if the fire was started by a person, it was likely an accident, since it looks as though the blaze has only one ignition point. Normally when a fire is started maliciously, firefighters find several different sources.

Fires in the municipality have been one of the concerns throughout the summer. In mid-July, seven hectares of land were burned in the Sierra de Altaona, an area close to this fire in El Valle. The security forces and the Local Police are still looking for the arsonist who allegedly started this fire.

There are also fires raging in other parts of Spain right now, including in Benasau, Alicante and Valverdejo in inland Castilla-La Mancha.

Images: Defensa Forestal Murcia

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