Infoca brings Tarifa wildfire, which started on Monday, under control

The Infoca forestfire unit announced on Thursday, 14 August, that the fire declared on Monday in the Sierra de la Plata de Tarifa area in Cadiz was under control. The update came at 2pm and, since then, teams deployed on the ground have been working on extinguishing it.

Seven groups of forest firefighters, an extinguishing technician, an operations technician, three environmental officers, an emergency manager, five fire engines, a medical unit and a meteorological unit were working in the area on Thursday afternoon.

The fire started around 2.20pm on Monday. Its expansion, due to the impact of the strong easterly wind, forced the regional government to activate the emergency phase in operational situation 1 and the first preventive evictions. A total of 2,000 people ended up being evacuated from their homes, holiday rentals and hotels in Atlanterra, in Zahara de los Atunes.

The Miguel de Cervantes sports centre and the Nuestra Señora del Carmen church in Zahara were set up to assist the evacuees. Although more than 800 people were initially accommodated, they eventually dropped down to 470, as the rest found accommodation in other locations.

Eventually, everybody was gradually allowed to return to their accommodation. In addition, the emergency level was reduced to operational situation 0.

Regarding the origin of the fire, regional minister Antonio Sanz stated that he had "well-founded suspicions" that it was intentional. This prompted the activation of all surveillance operations and security forces, as well as the launch of an investigation.

Since the fire was declared stabilised, Infoca troops have maintained their presence to try to control it and get closer to its extinction. An initial estimate of the area affected by the fire puts the damage at some 300 hectares.

The fire occurred just two days after the one that had started on 5 August in the La Peña area of Tarifa, affecting an area of 283 hectares and forcing the preventive evacuation of some 1,500 people and 5,000 vehicles, was considered extinguished.