Officials visit site of cala Saona's third wildfire this summer

Formentera Council chief Jaume Ferrer and the Govern balear's secretary for environment, Vicenç Vidal, have paid a morning visit to the command centre of yesterday's cala Saona wildfire.

The blaze, which by this morning had burned across 5.16 hectares, took hold yesterday at roughly 3.00pm. Within five hours the fire brigade had stabilised the flames and by 11.30pm they declared the wildfire controlled. Officials expect to see the fire fully extinguished in the hours or days to come.

Jaume Ferrer praised emergency crews, forest service agents, Formentera firefighters and civil protection, Guardia Civil and local Formentera police forces for their swift response. He voiced his concerns about the fact that yesterday's blaze is “already the third wildfire to hit this part of cala Saona in two months”.

The first one struck May 20 and left 14 hectares of scorched earth in its wake. The second, on July 5, burned through 10.2 hectares. The environment secretary reported that of the 70 hectares of land in Illes Balears to be stung by wildfire this summer, a full 30 were on Formentera.

Seprona and Guardia Civil agents visited the suspected site of the fire's onset to investigate the cause. Thirty-one workers will continue working on the scene today to extinguish the flames.