A «tinderbox» waiting to catch fire...

The Insular Council of Majorca said yesterday it is absolutely vital that all of the pine trees felled by last week's storms are cleared away by next summer, otherwise Majorca will be a “tinderbox” waiting to catch fire. President of the Insular Council, Maria Antonia Munar, warned that chances of forest fires will be increased and that the extra debris will make them harder to control, unless the clean up operation is completed well in advance of the forest fire season. Insular Councillor for the Environment, Miguel Borras, said that 25'000 tons of branches have already been cleared away by emergency teams and engineers, but there are an estimated 90'000 trees which have been felled across the island. The Insular Council aims to have its clean up operation completed by May 1 next year and all of the branches being removed are to be transformed in to compost. But the main concern is what will happen to all the pine trunks and logs.