Gale-Force Winds Lead to a Wildfire in Murcia

DURING the night of October 19 until the early morning of October 20, the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre for the Region of Murcia received over 70 calls related to a number of different issues related to the adverse weather conditions which included strong winds and some coastal phenomena. The incidents primarily involved fallen trees, branches, and other objects displaced by the wind. Fortunately, there were no personal injuries reported.

Emergency Response Efforts

Police and firefighters were kept busy as they responded to around 50 incidents caused by the strong winds with gusts that reached up to 90 kilometres per hour. The areas that were affected by the worst of it were the Cartagena area, Barrio Peral, Nueva Cartagena, and those surrounding areas.

⚠️⚠️Atención a los fuertes vientos 🌬🌬🌪

☎️Se han registrado algunas incidencias

👷‍♀️👷Servicios municipales trabajan para subsanar caída de palmera 🌴 en avenida de las Moreras

‼️Precaución ‼️
☎️Emergencias 📞1️⃣-1️⃣-2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/k3d6de5ScL

— Policía Local Mazarrón (@MazarronPolicia) October 19, 2023

Community Impact: Widespread Power Outage

El Beal and Llano del Beal also experienced damage to their electrical infrastructure due to the wind with a power pole collapsing. Thankfully despite the fierce winds the only damage due to the fire was material with damage reported to trees, parked cars, and power lines which left the towns without power. Immediate responses came from environmental agents, Cartagena’s Fire and Rescue Service, the local police, and the Guardia Civil. Given the fire’s proximity to the urban area, additional firefighting resources from the Consortium for Firefighting and Rescue of the Region of Murcia were summoned. A brave resident used his digger to create a firebreak to protect homes. Two forest firefighting brigades were mobilised to support the ongoing efforts.

Técnico de Extinción @defensaforeMUR da por extinguido el incendio forestal declarado la pasada noche entre El Beal y LLano de Beal (#Cartagena), con una superficie afectada de 4,8 hectáreas de pinos, jaras y lavandas.

📢 https://t.co/PpIlHDecn5

📹facilitado por @aamm_murcia pic.twitter.com/cfwORdXbtH

— 112 Región de Murcia (@112rmurcia) October 20, 2023

Containment and Control: A Sigh of Relief

At 00:37 hours on October 20, a firefighting technician reported that the fire was stabilised and under control. Firefighting teams shifted towards the RM-F43 road to prevent the fire from spreading further into wooded areas.

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