Forest fire in Rafalet, Javea

A fire started in the residential area of Rafalet in Javea on Wednesday evening. The fire broke out at 18.30 in a pine forest between Calle Mar Adriático and Calle Mar de San Lorenzo. Emergency services were quickly alerted to the situation and firefighters from Denia, Local Police, and Civil Protection Officers arrived to extinguish the fire with support from sea planes overhead.

The newly acquired sprinklers that the town invested in were put to good use as fire fighters used them to protect the surrounding houses and managed to stop one house in particular from catching fire.

A helicopter from the Generalitat Valenciana, three Forest Firefighter Units, two fire engines, two teams of firefighters from the Alicante Provincial Council, an environmental agent and the Fire Prevention Unit of Vegetation all worked together to control the blaze.

By 19.30 another helicopter had been deployed to tackle the flames and two houses were evacuated as a preemptive measure. Two Red Cross ambulances were also sent to the scene where four people were treated for smoke inhalation, one of them a local police officer.

By 8pm the fire was deemed under control and the evacuated residents were allowed to return back to their homes.