News, August 2005

11 dead as country barbecue leads to major forest fire

20 July. A major forest fire broke out last weekend (16th) after ramblers inadvertently failed to extinguish a Saturday lunchtime barbecue in the country east of Madrid. 13,000 hectares burnt, but worse still, 11 out of 12 men on a fire fighting team were overtaken and killed by the flames at one spot during Sunday.

The damage close to Santa María del Espino

Most of the group had visited a cave with a local guide, while others prepared lunch at an official fire spot. The guide claims he advised against a fire, but the trippers say he supplied the wood. In any case, after lunch the trippers took a quick dip in a rock pool nearby, but meanwhile the barbecue appears not to have been fully extinguished. One tripper claims a completely separate cause, close by, led to the fire, as something exploded. Whatever the truth, despite early attempts to put out the fire using picnic boxes to bring water from the pool, flames were soon out of control as tinder dry brush caught light.

This is just one of many incidents occurring around Spain at the moment as the country suffers its worst drought in 60 years.

The Environment secretary for the Castilla La Mancha region has resigned after criticism over the handling of the fire.

Go drought and More News

or, from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4702835.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4694511.stm
and follow the links.

Sources: TVE, El Mundo, BBC, ZDF, SFdrs, etc..