Firefighters tackle wildfire between Peramola and Oliana

77 hectares burned as 55 ground crews and nine air crews combat blaze in northwest Catalonia 

Smoke rises from the wildfire between Peramola and Oliana, Alt Urgell, June 19, 2022 (by Bombers de la Generalitat)
Smoke rises from the wildfire between Peramola and Oliana, Alt Urgell, June 19, 2022 (by Bombers de la Generalitat) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

June 19, 2022 08:18 PM

A wildfire between Peramola and Oliana, Alt Urgell, in northwest Catalonia has burned about 77 hectares of woodland, according to provisional data from authorities on Sunday evening.

The fire broke on Sunday afternoon, with the alarm being raised at 2.32pm in the Roc de Rombau area, situated at an altitude of 991m.

Firefighters – 55 ground crews and nine air crews – are working to prevent the flames advancing towards the Aubenç and Roc de Cogul mountains.

Due to the smoke and fire, the C-14 road has been closed from kilometer 141.5 to kilometer 144, between Oliana reservoir and the town of Oliana, according to the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT).

Secondary outbreaks have also been discovered.

Catalonia has been hit by dozens of wildfires during a week which saw a heat wave sweep across much of Europe.

On top of the unseasonably high temperatures, Catalonia's weather service also issued warnings for high winds during Saturday and Sunday, making conditions even more challenging for those tackling the fires.