Emergencies of the Generalitat have sent an Es-Alert message to the population of Catí informing about the evacuation of the municipality due to the Tírig forest fire. The population of Catí had been confined since Saturday after the Tírig fire advanced towards that municipality.
The residents of Catí have now received a message informing about the evacuation via the CV-128 or N-232 road towards Xert. The message text instructs the population to follow the instructions of the Civil Guard who is collaborating in the fire operation.
The fire was declared last Friday late afternoon and everything points to a lightning strike as the cause. Three other fires were declared, in Salzadella (already extinguished) and in Culla and Serra d’en Galceran (already controlled).
Work on two fronts
The fire extinguishing resources for the fire still active in the province of Castellón are working on two fronts, one in the north affecting the municipality of Catí and another in the south, in the Tírig area, whose situation has improved due to the increase in relative humidity this early morning in the area.
According to the technical director of the Advanced Post (PMA) of the fire, Antonio Rodrigo, after the meeting of the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi), all resources have been diverted to these two areas and “an attempt will be made to stabilize it as soon as possible.”
Rodrigo indicated that the increase last night of relative humidity to 70% “has helped to contain the fire in the northern area of Catí and in the south because the fuel has regained moisture”.
About 300 personnel and 50 ground units are working on the ground, and since 08:00 hours, 19 aerial resources have joined, according to the Minister of Emergencies and Interior, Juan Carlos Valderrama, at the coordination center of the operations.
Valderrama also reported that last night a small fire occurred in the Palanques area (Castellón), due to dry storms recorded in the area, which was quickly controlled and extinguished.
Regarding the hectares burned so far by the Tírig fire, he indicated that they are about 395, with a perimeter of about 15 kilometers, and reported that the fires declared last Friday in Culla and Serra d’en Galceran are already controlled.
Valderrama recalled that “we are in a situation of dry storms, which will repeat tomorrow” so he asked citizens to avoid making fires “because we need all extinguishing services to be focused today on the Tírig fire.”
He also recalled that a special device has been established for the solar eclipse on August 12, which will also require the mobilization of all security resources in case of any incident.
