The declared fire in the Guipuzcoan municipality of Zaldibia, which has affected 80 hectares of surface area, was stabilized after five o’clock in the afternoon this Monday, according to what the Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa has reported.
The blaze began at around 02:50 hours in a wooded area of the Aiestaran Erreka neighborhood in Zaldibia and, throughout the day, the intense gusts of southerly wind helped the flames advance both to the north and to the south-east.
In the firefighting operations, 26 firefighters from three parks were involved, supported by four forestry rangers and five specialist technicians, who worked with six water tank trucks and five light vehicles.
Given the development of the fire, the Department of Security of the Basque Government declared Situation 1 of the Emergency Phase of the "Special Emergency Plan for Risk of Forest Fires in Euskadi", after the Diputación Foral de Guipúzcoa raised its Foral Action Plan to operational situation 2.
Although around midday one of the flanks of the fire became out of control, no residents had to be evacuated and the firefighting teams intensified their work in the affected area.
The Department of Security has asked the public not to approach the area of the fire, to keep access routes clear to facilitate the work of emergency services, and to follow at all times the instructions of the Ertzaintza and of the firefighting teams.