Firefighters from the Infoca Plan have successfully controlled the forest fire that broke out on Wednesday in the Pasada Honda area, San Roque, after it ravaged approximately 30 hectares of grassland and low scrub. The fire, which started early Wednesday afternoon, was declared controlled late in the day, although mopping-up and extinguishing efforts continued throughout the night.
A team of forest firefighters and a water tender remain on site to ensure the complete extinguishment of the fire. The 'controlled' status means the fire's perimeter is surrounded by a control line of vegetation-free or already burnt ground, although hot spots may remain within.
Due to the fire's proximity to inhabited areas, 13 families in Pasada Honda had to be evacuated, with one house sustaining damage. Another six families residing near the road to Pinar del Rey were also evacuated as a precaution. The San Roque City Council has confirmed that all evacuated residents have been able to return to their homes.
The CA-9203 road, leading to Pinar del Rey, was closed on Wednesday afternoon but reopened at night once the situation stabilized. In addition to Infoca's resources, eight personnel and six vehicles from the Provincial Firefighters Consortium of Cádiz (from the San Roque, Los Barrios, and Algeciras stations), along with the Guardia Civil and Local Police, participated in the extinguishing efforts. The Consortium focused its initial efforts on protecting houses and animal stables in the area.
The mayor, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, thanked the Infoca Plan, the Provincial Firefighters Consortium, the Local Police, the Guardia Civil, and the Civil Protection volunteers of San Roque. The origin of the fire is still unknown, and the City Council is interested in clarifying this matter, although it acknowledges that high temperatures, which exceeded 38 degrees Celsius, were a key factor.
