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A hundred firefighters bring Mazarrón weekend wildfire under control
Around 20 residents and holidaymakers in Bolnuevo had to be moved to safety
Life in Mazarrón has returned to normal after a forest fire that broke out in the Sierra de Las Moreras on Saturday July 11 was declared extinguished by around midday on Sunday.
The blaze understandably rattled nerves given how close it came on the heels of the Almería fires and led to around 20 residents and holidaymakers being evacuated from nearby homes, along with bathers enjoying the coves of Bolnuevo.
More than 100 personnel were involved in bringing the fire under control including forestry brigades, who made up around half of that number, plus environmental agents, firefighters, Civil Protection, the Guardia Civil and Local Police.
The affected area is estimated at more than 6 hectares of scrubland and esparto grass, although a final assessment is still pending.
Pura Liria, who lives in a rented house in the Punta Vela area, could see the flames and smoke from the moment the fire broke out in the ravine between Bolnuevo and Cañada de Gallego.
"It was very unnerving to see the fire through the window, especially after what happened in Los Gallardos," she said.
"But we saw the massive firefighting effort and after the initial shock, we felt safe." She didn't leave the house, and her daughter joined her there later.The quick response from crews working under the Region of Murcia's Infomur wildfire plan meant the situation never escalated much further, with the fire brought under control by 3.52am. Four aircraft were deployed from the outset, while three helicopter-borne crews were sent to tackle the summit, an area otherwise impossible for ground teams to reach.
By 10.40am Level 1 of the Infomur Plan had been deactivated given the improving situation, and crews began gradually withdrawing as the response was scaled down to Pre-Emergency status. The coves of Bolnuevo were reopened to the public from early morning for anyone wanting to enjoy the sea.
The cause of the fire hasn't yet been established, according to the regional government.
Not everyone was happy with how the response was handled though. Mayor Ginés Campillo, along with Councillors Jesús García Vivancos and Carmen Navarro, criticised the fact that, in their words, "there was no fire crew" stationed at the fire station on Saturday afternoon.
The Regional Ministry denied this was the case, insisting staffing levels were "the usual amount" and pointing out that its crews were in fact first on the scene. Officials also clarified that "the Infomur Plan establishes that in a forest fire, the initial technical responsibility falls to specialised forestry units," working under the coordination of the operational team, with firefighters stepping into a leading role only once inhabited areas are affected, which didn't happen here.
Evacuation efforts were coordinated by Mazarrón Town Hall's Civil Protection and Social Services departments, with 23 people moved to safety, most of them foreign nationals. The Red Cross sent a basic emergency response team to the campsite where evacuees had gathered, later helping transfer two people back to their homes in Punta Vela, four others to the Las Gredas parking area in Bolnuevo and one more to the Costa Hotel in Mazarrón as part of the organisation's settlement programme.Sebastián Vivancos, director of the Playas de Mazarrón campsite in Bolnuevo, where evacuees were looked after, said "people were calm all things considered."
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