The fire that has affected the municipality of Tàrbena, in Alicante, since Sunday afternoon, is evolving favorably, although caution is maintained for midday due to low humidity and high temperatures. The burned perimeter is 697 hectares.
The latest Emergency update from the Generalitat Valenciana confirms that there is no longer a flame on the ground, one of the objectives that was pursued last night. In the next few hours, special emphasis will be placed on ground work to avoid possible regrowth on the perimeter.
Since eight in the morning, the aerial teams have been working on extinction while six crews from the Alicante Fire Consortium, six Forest Firefighters units from the Generalitat Valenciana with six fire engines and members of the Military Emergency Unit are working. In total there are about 200 troops.
The fire forced 182 people to evacuate from their homes, 100 from Tàrbena, 80 from Parcent and two other people from Xaló, who lived in scattered buildings. The fire, authorities point out, was due to a controlled burn. The forest fire has so far burned nearly 600 hectares.
Yesterday two people were arrested, a father and a son, who were later released pending trial for allegedly being involved in the agricultural burning that got out of control this Sunday and caused the fire. Investigation sources told EFE that this father and son were arrested at noon this Monday and that, presumably, they will have to testify before the court handling the case within a maximum period of 48 hours.
