A forest fire declared this Friday in the sierra de Algairén, between the Zaragoza municipalities of Almonacid de la Sierra and Alpartir, has forced the confinement of the latter locality due to the presence of smoke.
The fire started in the early afternoon and has spread rapidly through an area of scrubland and pine forest located at the foot of the sierra. According to information published by Heraldo de Aragón, the flames are believed to have started in at least four simultaneous hotspots, although there is currently no official confirmation regarding the causes of the fire.
The Emergency Center 112 Aragón has sent an ES-Alert message to the mobile phones of people located in the municipal term of Alpartir to order their preventive confinement.
Alpartir is confined, but there is no evacuation order
The measure adopted requires the population to remain in safe places and follow the instructions of the emergency services. The confinement has been decreed due to the effect of the smoke and does not equate to an evacuation of the municipality.
During the afternoon, contradictory information about a possible evacuation has been disseminated, after it was communicated to the neighbors via the municipal loudspeaker about the possibility of leaving the locality. However, for the moment there is no official evacuation order.
Some residents have decided to move on their own initiative to La Almunia de Doña Godina, located about seven kilometers from Alpartir. Authorities are asking to consult only official channels and not to make movements that could hinder the access of emergency vehicles.
Confined individuals must remain inside buildings, close doors and windows, and avoid the entry of smoke. If they are outside, they should go to an enclosed space and follow communications from 112 Aragón and the City Council.
INFOAR requests reinforcements from the Ministry and from Castilla y León
The INFOAR operation has initially mobilized two airlifted brigades with their respective helicopters, three ground brigades, and two fire trucks. The Provincial Firefighters of Zaragoza are also participating in the firefighting tasks.
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In light of the evolution of the fire, the Government of Aragón has requested reinforcement resources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and from the forest fire operation of Castilla y León.
The forces are working both from the ground and from the air to contain the advance of the flames and protect the areas near populated centers. The column of smoke is visible from several kilometers away and is affecting the air quality in the vicinity of Alpartir.
For now, no official estimate of the affected area, the perimeter of the fire, or possible damages has been released. There has also been no information regarding the activation of an evacuation order in Almonacid de la Sierra.
The different fire sources are being investigated
The appearance of several points of fire practically simultaneously will be the subject of investigation. The existence of different sources does not allow for determining on its own whether the fire was intentional, so any conclusion about its origin will have to wait for the inspections by specialized agents.
The Algairén mountain range extends through the Zaragoza regions of Valdejalón and Campo de Cariñena and has significant areas of scrubland, holm oak, and pine forest. The terrain's orography and the continuity of the vegetation can hinder firefighting efforts and favor the spread of the fire.