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Date Published: 13/09/2022

WATCH: Granada wildfire burns through 5,000 hectares with little rain on the horizon

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Residents have been confined to their homes as the Los Guajares fire blazes for a fifth day

WATCH: Granada wildfire burns through 5,000 hectares with little rain on the horizon

The forest fire in the Los Guajares area of Granada is now in its fifth day and although a little rain has fallen in the Lecrín Valley in recent hours, it has simply not been enough to stem the flames.

Firefighting aircraft took to the skies first thing on Tuesday morning, September 13 and the hope is that some more intense rain forecast for this afternoon will allow emergency workers make headway. However, intense winds on Monday night that reached speeds of 40km/h didn’t help matters, fanning the flames further towards Rules-Vélez de Benaudalla.

"The wind changed direction and was very intense," according to Infoca sources.

"The forest firefighters have had a very hard night due to the swinging of the flames," they explained, adding that the blaze is still considered very active and has already scorched 5,000 hectares of land.

📹 #IFLosGuájares | Imágenes con la intensidad de las rachas de viento. Esto ha provocado horas difíciles para los vecinos de #Ízbor y #Acebuches, a los que enviamos todo nuestro ánimo y apoyo. Ahora, la lluvia dificulta la visibilidad en la incorporación de aéreos. pic.twitter.com/zXAQEU74wJ
— INFOCA (@Plan_INFOCA) September 13, 2022

The most complex fire front at the moment is moving from the Sierra de Ízbor towards Vélez de Benaudalla. The road from Pinos del Valle to Los Guájares is still closed and a level 1 emergency alert remains in place.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, around 150 firefighters, 7 heavy vehicles and 5 specialised machines battled the flames, concentrating in Venta de la Cebada area where the erratic winds “hardly allowed [firefighters] to work during the night within the entire perimeter.” Because of these unpredictable gusts, residents of Ízbor and Acebuches were confined to their homes, although thankfully, evacuation wasn’t deemed necessary.

The director of Forestry Policy of the Junta de Andalucía, Guiuseppe Aloisio, has reported that throughout this morning new Infoca troops from other provinces will be drafted in.

"We have also requested the cutting of a high voltage line to prevent problems for professionals who are working on the ground," he added.

Images: Infoca

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