Formentera firefighters continue working today to control the forest fire that began yesterday shortly after 4.00pm in Cala Saona, es Cap de Barbaria. From the first site of flames till 2.00am the following morning, seven firemen with two fire engines and two pick-ups toiled to put out the blaze. Two men took the reins after that and carried on till 9.00am, when four more took up the charge.
Having earlier declared the blaze to be stabilised, the two agencies responsible for coordinating fire control efforts—the Balearic institute of nature (Ibanat) and the Govern balear's ministry of environment—reported the blaze controlled at 11.30pm. In the process they deployed five planes, three helicopters, one fire engine, 17 firefighters, two environmental agents and two staff specialists. From Betera, València, members of Spain's military emergency unit (UME) arrived as twilight approached.
In total, 10.2 hectares were affected by the flames, which crews will continue soaking this morning and in the coming hours and days. On the scene this morning are the firefighting chief, four Eivissa and three Formentera wildland firefighters, four Formentera firefighters and nineteen UME operators. The UME, in addition to an environmental agent and an urgent response staffer, has at its disposal three fire engines.
Formentera Council chairman Jaume Ferrer as well as the chief of staff of Mr Ferrer's office, Bartomeu Escandell, and environment councillor Daisee Aguilera visited ground zero of the scene yesterday afternoon. Escandell returned there today and thanked crews—including 15 volunteers from the civil protection league, local police, Guardia Civil and other emergency response teams—for their work. Another wildfire struck the area on May 20 and scorched 14 hectares of forest. The Civil Guard is leading an investigation into the cause of the incident.
The Formentera Council Office of Sport has announced they have begun accepting applications for grant money as part of Esports 2017, a programme to fund local clubs and associations oriented around sport. The aim is to help associations promote and carry out seasonal activities (assistance with sign-ups and membership documentation, trainer costs, equipment, etc.) and ensure their economic viability by proposing mediation and counsel in areas such as business administration.
According to the Formentera Council's education office, the island's two nurseries, or escoletes, have the resources available to give 125 children early-childhood care. Together, the pair, Sa Miranda and the Escoleta del Camí Vell (“the nursery on the old road” to la Mola), have announced their potential to take in 52 new pupils this autumn. The task of caring for the children falls to 16 instructors at the two schools, a sign, chief of education Susana Labrador said, “of the Council's serious commitment to Formentera families”.