Eight firefighters of Mallorca, along with two 4x4 vehicles, arrived in Palma this morning after a week of work extinguishing the forest fires that have affected several areas of Castile and León.
Their work was focused on the protection of urban centres, the containment of active fronts and the application of firefighting techniques adapted to the characteristics of the area.
The firefighters of Mallorca left on August 19, from Puerto Alcudia, as part of the operation coordinated by the General Directorate of Emergencies of the Balearic Islands Government.
The response from the Mallorcan fire department was immediate: in just 24 hours, up to 37 volunteers offered to take part in the operation, of which eight were ultimately deployed with two multipurpose 4×4 vehicles.
The Mallorcan professionals worked in extreme weather conditions and on extremely difficult terrain, with fires that spread rapidly and constantly flared up.
Their work focused on protecting urban centers, containing active fire fronts, and applying extinguishing techniques adapted to the characteristics of the area.
The Minister of Finance, Innovation, and Public Administration, Rafel Bosch, thanked them for their work. “I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Mallorca. You have proven to be excellent professionals during a very difficult and demanding experience. Now we must continue to strengthen prevention and urge caution, because any carelessness can lead to devastating fires.”
According to Corporal Guillem Mas, “the experience has been very positive, despite the tension and sadness of seeing the impact of such devastating fires up close. The coordination with the other emergency services has been perfect, and the reception from the local residents has been wonderful.”
For his part, firefighter Toni Pujol explained that the conditions were demanding and that, despite the protection, some personnel suffered physical problems due to the heat and smoke.
However, he emphasized that “we were all needed; no one was superfluous. The gratitude we received for crossing Spain and helping them was one of the most emotional experiences I have had as a professional.”
The operation has allowed the Mallorcan Fire Department to apply its expertise to situations uncommon on the islands, such as collecting and distributing water from rivers using motor pumps or responding to large areas of forest.
This exchange of techniques and experiences is one of the added benefits of collaboration between autonomous communities in emergencies of this magnitude.
After a week of intense work and effort, the Mallorca Fire Department has demonstrated its commitment to protecting people and the natural environment, not only in the Balearic Islands but wherever they are needed.