Majorca fires

Majorca was struck by two forest fires yesterday afternoon, the first in Calvia and the second in Puigpunyet. The alarm was first raised at 13.30 in Calvia when a forest fire was reported in woodland near the holiday resort of Palmanova. The fire started close to an old farmhouse in the Sierra de na Burguesa, which is tragically hit by bush fires every summer. Calvia Local Police had to evacuate three properties close to the heart of the blaze and ten people, one of whom was a sick lady, had to be helped to safety away from the flames. Fortunately the fire did not reach the threatened houses in Son Boronat but teams of fire fighters were on hand to battle the blaze had it crept dangerously close to the three properties. Fire chiefs reported that the Calvia blaze had been brought under control by 5pm, during which time roads had been closed in order to enable firemen to get closer to the blaze, and that some five hectares of woodland had been destroyed. Three fire fighting planes and a helicopter helped fight the flames from the air while firemen from Calvia, Llucmajor and Andratx battled the blaze on the ground with support from the Guardia Civil Nature Protection squad (IBANAT), the Guardia Civil and the Local Police. Mayor of Calvia, Margarita Najera visited the scene and followed the operation at first hand.