Forest Firefighters In Andalucia Praised For Their Humanity

Despite the devastation of the forest fires that continue to ravage Europe, a heart-warming story of humanity and compassion has emerged.

On Monday, August 8 in the municipality of Puerto Real, Cádiz, a fire raged that led to a firefighter named Juan Antonio who rescued a chameleon that is native to the area, writes Nuis Diario.

Community Effort

Firefighters were helped by residents who showed immense courage and solidarity, forming human chains to combat the flames. But the incident also showed the humanity of the men and women who still continue with the work of preserving the area’s wildlife.

The fire, now stabilised, continues to be monitored as efforts to extinguish hot spots are ongoing. The local authorities have warned against entering Las Canteras Park due to the ‘removal and cleaning of trees that threaten to fall.’

In this park, a special reptile of Cadiz territory, the common chameleon, was saved. The chameleon is an endemic species in the province, primarily found in the Bay of Cádiz.

In past incidents like the Sierra Bermeja fire in Málaga, animals often suffer. ‘Those creatures can’t run away fast,’ lamented a user reacting to the INFOCA Plan’s Twitter publication, noting the slow movement of chameleons.

People Show Their Gratitude

The firefighter’s rescue action has been met with widespread gratitude. Emotion-filled emojis and words of thanks such as ‘Thank you heroes,’ ‘thank you for all the effort,’ and ‘total pride,’ filled social media. One woman even declared it her ‘favourite photo of the disaster.’

Another also noted the uniqueness of the species, stating, ‘it is the only place where these animals are so particular and, for me, precious.’

Besides this touching episode, firefighters are still tackling sources of fire in the Algaida pine forest area. The entire perimeter of Los Toruños Park remains closed, affecting the railway service connecting Casa de los Toruños with Levante beach. The Junta de Andalucía warned of the closure due to strong wind gusts with the fire still active.

Access to affected areas will be reopened once deemed safe by technicians, in a continuing story that has shown the resilience and empathy of the local community in the face of disaster.