Jaca and Ayerbe have become shelter towns for residents evacuated from villages near a wildfire burning in Las Peñas de Riglos, in Huesca province. The Monte Oroel pavilion in Jaca has been set up to receive people forced to leave their homes as the fire spreads, and 35 of the 120 people affected are already staying there.
Evacuations expand to more villages
The first villages hit by evacuation orders were Villalangua and Salinas de Jaca. As the afternoon wore on and the fire evolved, preventive measures were extended to Ena and Centenero as well.
Residents of Ena and Centenero also received a warning through the ES-Alert system, which sends instructions directly to residents' mobile phones. The message told them to leave their villages and head to Jaca.
The situation remains under watch in three other municipalities. Protección Civil, the regional civil protection agency, has placed the mayors of Arbués, Bailo and Alastuey on alert in case the fire's advance makes it necessary to widen the evacuations.
The Government of Aragón said these alerts do not currently amount to an evacuation order. Their purpose, the regional government said, is to keep an updated count of the people remaining in each village and to identify residents who might need specific help if an evacuation becomes necessary.
Smoke and ash reach Jaca
The fire's proximity has also been felt in Jaca. The city has received ash carried from the blaze, while smoke building up in the atmosphere has noticeably changed the look of the sky.
During the afternoon, suspended particles gave the sky a yellowish tone and left the sun partly hidden behind a layer of smoke. The sun's disc could barely be made out clearly, an image that reflected the intensity of the fire and the atmospheric conditions created by the smoke.
