Malaga firefighters heading to La Palma

Malaga firefighters heading to La Palma

Malaga firefighters heading to La Palma. image: Cabildo de La Palma and Diputacion de Malaga

Malaga firefighters heading to La Palma

Today, Sunday, November 28, saw seven members of the Provincial Fire Brigade Consortium (CPB) of Malaga board an aircraft and head for the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands. They are volunteers who will help out with the cleaning and rescue operations that are going on in the wake of the Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption.

Francisco Salado, the president of the Malaga Provincial Council, thanked these volunteers for their effort, a group of professionals who are “amply prepared to face natural disasters such as the one La Palma is suffering”.
Francisco Soriano, the technical inspector of the Malaga Consortium, pointed out that the team is not concerned about any complications of hardship they might endure in their task, but said, “The hardest thing can be the social situation that we are going to find, the enormous sadness of those who have lost everything”.

The Malaga unit is the first one from the province to fly to the Canary Islands, but more will follow if the catastrophe that devastates the island does not subside. In a commitment with the Cabildo de La Palma, every month, a group of firefighters from Malaga will travel to support rescue and cleaning tasks for a week.

Soriano proudly pointed out, “When volunteers were asked to go and relieve the comrades there, whose forces must already be beginning to weaken, immediately about 50 people proposed themselves. That is worthy of recognition”.

A tough seven days faces this team of volunteers, who will operate on a 24/7 basis. “We face this mission with enthusiasm, and with great desire to work to help the people of La Palma”, assured Joaquin Molina, a sergeant from Coin Fire Station.

“We will be there waiting for any rescue that may occur: animals, people … we will intervene in traffic accidents, and fires, as we would in any fire station”, Soriano explained. His team is well aware of the situation on the island, where it will be necessary to have gas detectors because of the presence of toxic gases. Sulphur dioxide, and hydrogen sulphide produced by the volcano are making the air less breathable. Carbon monoxide is also being detected.

“It is going to be an anomalous intervention, because we are facing a volcanic eruption, and that is not part of our day-to-day activity, but as firefighters, we are perfectly trained, and qualified to face any type of situation”, concluded Francisco Soriano, as reported by diariosur.es.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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