A fire on Monday afternoon scorched 4.2 hectares of riparian forest in the Mitjana park in Lleida, in an area near the Granyena road. The Bombers de la Generalitat received the alert at 3:20 p.m., mobilized ten ground crews and a helicopter, and declared the fire under control at 5:55 p.m.
The fire originated in three different spots, and the city council considers it intentional, a circumstance that aggravates the incident in one of the most frequented natural spaces in the Lleida area. After the fire, the Paeria closed access to the park until at least the following morning, when its reopening will be assessed.
Bombers controlled the fire in two hours and 35 minutes
The intervention required the deployment of a large operation in La Mitjana. While the Bombers worked on the ground and from the air, members of the Guardia Urbana cordoned off the area and blocked access to prevent people from entering the enclosure.
Cristina Morón, deputy mayor and councilor for Security, highlighted the rapid action to ensure the safety of the people who were inside the park. The councilor prioritized this response during the first hours of the fire.
Agents Rurals are investigating three spots on the Granyena road
The investigation has been handed over to the Agents Rurals, after the fire started in three different points of the park. This fact now concentrates the attention of the investigators, who must determine how the fire started in the area of the Granyena road.
"Now we have to wait to know the causes that originated the fire, although it would be an intentional fire" - Cristina Morón, deputy mayor and councilor for Security, Lleida City Council
Morón also called on the police forces to make every effort to identify those responsible. The park closure remains in effect until at least the morning after the fire, when the city council will review whether conditions allow for the reopening of La Mitjana.
The fire affected 4.2 hectares of riparian forest in one of the main natural spaces in the municipality of Lleida.