14,000 evacuated as wild fire takes hold in Alicante province

14,000 evacuated as wild fire takes hold in Alicante province
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By h.b. - Jan 24, 2009 - 9:01 PM

Fire hits La Nucia - EFE

Strong winds are fanning the flames of the fire, which started when an electricity pylon at El Copet was blown over in the wind.

The strong winds on Saturday fanned the flames as a huge wildfire broke out in La Nucia, Alicante.

Some 14,000 people in 25 different urbanisations have been evacuated from their homes in La Nucía, Benidorm, Finestrat and Polop because of the fire which started at 0920 in the El Copet area, according to the Mayor of La Nucia, Bernabé Cano, speaking to Europa Press. They have been taken to local municipal facilities.

The Terra Natura and Terra Mítica theme parks in Benidorm hav also been evacuated as well as the hotels in the Villaitana complex.

EFE

Firemen have set up firebreaks to stop the flames reaching a butane gas deposit and petrol stations.
It’s thought that the collapse of a high tension pylon in the high wind was the cause of the fire.

The fall of a pylon is thought to have started the blaze - EFE

More than 500 firefighters are at the scene, aided by the Guardia Civil and Local Police, among others. Air support has been unable to take part in fighting the blaze because of the very strong winds. There are no reports of any injuries but the blaze remains out of control as darkness falls. At least four homes are thought to have been lost.

Temperatures rose by ten degrees as the 100 km/hour winds in Alicante brought tropical temperatures from the Canaries to replace the last week of low temperatures.

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