A picture of the fire in El Saler shared on the AA VV Dehesa El Saler X account.AAVV Dehesa El Saler
At around 2:10 p.m., firefighters from the Valencia City Council considered the forest fire that broke out yesterday afternoon in Devesa del Saler to be under control and the CV-500 highway was reopened to traffic. It is the ninth fire recorded since the summer in the Devesa del Saler, which has a dune and Mediterranean forest system and is located in the Albufera Natural Park, 10 kilometers from Valencia. Most of the incidents were not very serious, but they totaled several hectares of a very rich and sensitive forest area, located on the headland that separates the Mediterranean from the freshwater Lake l’Albufera. In El Saler, which belongs to the municipality of Valencia, around 1,700 people live on an area of around 800 hectares.
The Civil Guard has launched an investigation, analyzing evidence to determine the origin of the fire, while also patrolling the area in case there is another outbreak. Initial investigations suggest the possibility that this was intentional, although the investigation remains open. A fire broke out in the early hours of Friday and Saturday, burning around five square meters and, according to the municipality, it was quickly extinguished.
The fire had stabilized at 6:49 a.m. this Sunday after a new outbreak was recorded last night, which was extinguished shortly afterwards. As a result of the fire, 18 people had to be evacuated from the Casal l’Esplai hostel and a section of the CV-500 that had already been reopened to traffic was closed. According to Levante-EMV, between 14 and 16 hectares were burned.
On the night of this Saturday to Sunday, various firefighters continued to work to spruce up the area, as 112 CV reported through its social networks.
At around 9:20 a.m., seven firefighters from the Valencia City Council, six crews from the Valencia Provincial Fire Consortium, an amphibious aircraft and an environmental officer worked to extinguish the fire.
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Mercedes Gómez, spokeswoman for the El Saler neighborhood association, like many other neighbors, watched the fire all night. Gómez, in statements collected by Radio Valencia Cadena SER, assures that the privileged environment is “not protected” and deplores the lack of supervision in the Albufera Natural Park and the cleaning of the area.
On Saturday afternoon, the firefighters of the municipal council mobilized their Advanced Command Post (PMA) at the fire station of El Saler, where the council delegate for fire prevention and extinguishing, Juan Carlos Caballero, moved this Sunday. the PP, who thanked the troops for their work “to ensure security and restore normality in the region”. “We will spare no effort to protect our most precious natural environment: the Devesa de El Saler.”
The councilor of the PSPV-PSOE in the Valencia City Council, María Pérez, asked the mayor of the city, María José Catalá, to explain “what the city council has done in the last three months to prevent it in El Saler a fire occurs again.” after up to nine fires were reported in the natural park without any response.” “Four months have passed since Catalá took over the leadership of the city council and during this time he has not been able to “To coordinate effective and preventive measures to neutralize the suspected arsonist who is pursuing the city’s largest green lung,” denounced the city council.
“The City Hall firefighters have done a great job and are working hard. The local police have also increased surveillance in El Saler. The City Council reminds us that the responsibility for investigating fires lies with the Civil Guard and we do not doubt their good work. “We regret the PSOE’s statements questioning the work of state security forces and authorities,” Caballero replied.