Dozens of firefighters and brigade members, fire engines and tank trucks as well as other emergency vehicles from various organizations in Bariloche had to intervene to extinguish the fire this Friday a big forest fire which began after noon very close to the Sanatorio San Carlos and, driven by the wind, advanced at high speed, destroying pines and cypresses, towards the Belgrano district in the central part of the city, dividing into two fronts.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. on the northern slope of Runge Hill, at kilometer 1 of Bustillo Avenue, at the western entrance to the center of Bariloche. According to the sources consulted, the fire broke out in the back of the San Carlos sanatorium, just 20 meters away, so firefighters had to quickly fight the flames.
After three hours of hard work, the rear and front fires were brought under control. This made it possible to use it Fire hydrant planes to “cool” with its discharges the areas of greatest fire activity and allow the fire to progress Firefighters and Brigadiers overland.
The fire caused panic in the clinic, which at the start of the emergency prepared to evacuate patients and medical and technical staff while they could see the fire through the windows ten meter high torches devouring trees and dense vegetation.
The wind carried the flames away from the sanatorium, but quickly brought them closer to the homes and buildings in the area. Faced with this situation, many residents decided to evacuate themselves – some running with suitcases – and distance themselves from the thick smoke and falling ash that made the surrounding streets unbearable.
Meanwhile, other residents of the area have also put on chains Bucket of water to throw it into the fire or throw it straight off the balconies while others did Garden hoses work together.
In addition to the Volunteer firefighters from all barracks in the cityEmergency services from the Provincial Forest Fire Fighting Service (Splif), Río Negro police personnel who cut off traffic in the area, national parks and municipal civil protection intervened.
The flames and smoke could be seen for miles, which, along with the sirens from the various cell phones involved in the action, caused an uproar throughout the city.
The municipality and emergency teams had to ask residents not to approach the site with cars as traffic through Bustillo was chaotic until they decided to cut it off. The traffic jam hampered the fire department’s operations, even on Avenida de los Pioneros, an alternative road through which traffic was rerouted.
Around 5:00 p.m. The fire was already “under control”, so it stopped spreading and the task was focused on cooling the most busy points and protecting houses.
Gonzalo Irasoque, who was in charge of the Splif operation, stated that there were no casualties except for a firefighter who became decompensated from inhaling smoke and was out of danger after help.
In March 2015 A very similar fire started a little further from the sanatorium and spread between the forest and the houses until it entered the Belgrano district and burned down some houses.
A neighbor on Salta Street, very close to the sector affected by the flames this Thursday, told Canal Seis that he was working far away, on Lake Nahuel Huapi, and saw the fire near his mother’s house, so he ran to help her.
“I came immediately, it reminded me of the fire in 2015 that burned down the house across the street,” he said as he carried buckets and other containers of water to moisten the area and contain the flames.
On this occasion, firefighters and rescue workers called on the city to install fire hydrants at the site and repair those that had no water, as well as draw up an emergency plan for possible fires in the neighborhood. Among other things, they warned about the narrowness of the streets and the parked cars that prevented emergency vehicles from passing through.
However, the experience did not improve the conditions of the site, whose images today appeared to have been taken ten years ago.
Bariloche. Especially for Clarin.
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