Arsonists caused 20 overnight fires in Cantabria, including six active fires, taking advantage of winds from the south | Spain

This July, Cantabria appeared “on high alert”, according to the 112 Emergency Service, due to the high risk of fires due to high temperatures and strong winds in the south, conditions that arsonists used to ignite 20 forest fires last night. There are eight monitored and six active, with firefighters deployed at various points in the community. Sources close to brigadistas and those with knowledge of the rural areas where these outbreaks are produced explain that it is common in the fall to suffer from llama fires because ranchers, knowing the presence of these strong gusts of dry winds, seize land to gain space for pasture.

Moreover, it is observed that multiple foci active at the same time greatly complicate the extinction tasks under high concurrency, so that “the alert continues at maximum over the next few hours, so that the entire client remains active,” El 112 cántabro reported via its social network account. The most complex points are found in the vicinity of Puente Viesjo, because the fire is affecting the CA-170 highway, as well as in the vicinity of Peñas de Pejes “due to possible releases into the La Hermida Strait” and a similar scene in Proaño, where “fortunately the llamas are far from population centers” and do not pose a danger to the pueblo even though they started near its borders. Strong wind cracks are active on the front lines, and allow the displaced brigade members, in the face of loud calls, to attack it from the side, while it is difficult to withstand it from the front.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) notes that “today the level of fire danger is expected to be very high due to very adverse meteorological conditions: very strong wind rips, very low relative humidity and temperatures above normal values,” which can be restated at 25 degrees at different points in the region and the lower limit only serves to cool or dampen the fire areas. Storm Claudiawhich betrayed the rivers to the northwest, in the forest area, and its fresh water is not expected during the next few hours to help contain the active or uncontrolled fires. In the meantime, follow the yellow and orange alerts in the various sectors of the region, both external and internal, for winds reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour, accompanied by fire to continue its push, in addition to its drought.

Sources close to forest firefighters and residents of mountainous areas explain that it is a common practice among farmers to take advantage of the warm days in October or November, when the fields are still very dry in summer with no rain in sight, to carry out volunteer exercises. This way, you can get land for farming or agricultural practices.