Wildfire 'on road to stabalization' with just 10% still active

The fire of the Ribera d'Ebre is "on the road to stabilization." Interior minister Miquel Buch confirmed earlier this Saturday morning that 90% of the perimeter of the fire is stabilized, but 10% of the fire is still active. 

Operations chief in the fire brigade David Borrell told media that the objectives set during the night have been achieved, especially on the right flank, where the crews have worked hard to control the wildfire. 

The weather conditions on Saturday will make efforts "hard" once again as the heatwave continues, and the teams in charge of the operation remain cautious. "We will not be calm until we see how the afternoon evolves," Borrell said.

Medical emergency services reported that it attended to 21 people, 12 of whom firefighters affected by the heat and exhaustion. 

From "defense" to "attack" 

By 1.30 pm, and with the majority of the perimeter of the fire controlled, the interior minister announced that the firefighters have moved from a standpoint of "defense" towards "attack," with the view of putting the fire out completely "in the next few hours."

However, Buch also warned that he cannot have "any kind of confidence" as he reminded that yesterday there were twenty revivals of the fire, and therefore a "maximum warning" must be kept in place because "any revival could break the entire strategy."

The minister insisted again in the afternoon that the fire is still on the "way to stabilization." The head of the firefighting operator, Antonio Ramos, said that 10% of the fire is still active but he "hopes" to have the fire completely controlled "by the end of the day."

He acknowledged that the agents are working "under conditions of high temperatures and very low humidity," which means that "the whole group suffers from symptoms of exhaustion."