Date Published: 18/07/2024
WATCH: 50 firefighters and helicopter teams called in to battle Murcia wildfire
The fire has been raging in the central Murcia countryside near Altaona all night
Efectivo adscrito al #PlanInfomur trabaja desde anoche en la extinción de un incendio forestal declarado en el paraje de Los Ginovinos, entre las Sierra de Columbares y Altaona (#Murcia) #IFMurcia.https://t.co/vy2ciqFqdu
— 112 Región de Murcia (@112rmurcia) July 18, 2024
🎥 @aamm_murcia @defensaforeMUR @MurciaForestal pic.twitter.com/62GxiQ4nJz
A wildfire broke out late last night, on Wednesday July 17, in central Murcia near the border with the province of Alicante.
It was shortly after 10.30pm when the emergency services received over 200 calls from concerned citizens warning them of the fire in the Cabezo de la Plata/El Garruchal area, between the Sierra de Columbares and Sierra Altaona mountain ranges, near Los Ginovinos and the Mirador Altaona viewpoint.
Firefighters and the Forestry Brigade were in the area all through the night, battling the flames, and the fire is still active this Thursday morning.
Two helicopters from the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies and a heliborne forestry brigade are helping with the firefighting efforts, and around 50 people are now on the scene to try to extinguish the blaze as quickly as possible.
At the moment, approximately five hectares of forest land have been burnt up, although at midnight the council reported that the fire was already contained.
![WATCH: 50 firefighters and helicopter teams called in to battle Murcia wildfire](https://murciatoday.com//images/articles/24/07/1000096526__11721289898_large.jpg)
The director of the Infomur Plan has activated the operational situation 0 of the Plan, which means that the fire is expected to be extinguished using local and regional resources, and that they will not require help from outside.
Almost the entire Region of Murcia is at high risk of forest fires because of the high temperatures and dry conditions in the countryside.
The causes of the fire are still unknown, but the Emergency Coordination Centre in Murcia is urging everyone to exercise extreme caution to avoid any activity that could be likely to cause a fire or help one to spread, such as building a bonfire, throwing cigarette butts on the floor or leaving glass bottles and other rubbish lying around.
In other news: Hacienda Riquelme earthquake felt in Murcia and Orihuela
Image: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
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