THE fire in Vall d`Ebo, located inland on the Costa Blanca, continues to rage unabated. Now ash is falling for those who live quite close to the coast. The wind also carries a strong smell of smoke over a large area.
Ashes are falling in Sierra Altea, meanwhile in Xirles and Polop smoke and black flakes of ash fill the air.
In Taberna people have left their homes following 300 fire crews, 16 planes and helicopters called into action to deal with the situation in Vall d`Ebo.
The fire is not under control as it spreads amongst the the hills terrain as firemen continue to battle against the fire spreading in the Vall de la Galinera, which has a particularly high ecological value.
The fire is advancing in several directions and the entire El Comtat region is exposed which has destroyed 8,000 hectares of forest and land in a radius of 50 kilometres.
The fire has been described as an ecological disaster that has hit financially from the loss of rural tourism.
The whole valley resembles a large pile of ashes, says a restaurant owner to local media.
Farmers who grow “perello”, as a tasty apple have seen most of their crops lost.
Evacuations have begun from the town of Castell de Castells as the fire dangerously approached the village of Tollos on August 15.
1,500 people were forcibly moved to schools, community centres and facilities built by the Red Cross.
Roads are closed, due to the forest fire, being the CV-700 from l`Ayzubia to Vall de Gallinera and the CV-712 between Alcala de la Jovada and Vill dÈbo.
Plumes of smoke can be seen on the A-7 motorway between Ibi and Alcoy as fears grow that the fire in the Vall d`Ebo will be the summer’s worst fire in the Valencia region, but not as extensive as the fire in Cortes de Pallas in 2012 when 30,000 hectares of terrain was destroyed.
In Anon de Mopncayo in Zaragoza and in Les Useres in Castellon the fire is not under control.
Police in Altea have posted information about the fire with smoke and ash getting closer to the Costa Blanca coast as reports of a fire is burning between Callosa and Altea, with water taken from Polop in a bid to stop it.
