Ibiza.Vicent Mari, the loMayor in Santa Eularia said yesterday that between 700 and 1'200 residents of the Roca Llisa residential complex who were evacuated from their homes on Sunday evening after wildfire broke out in Cala Llonga could expect to be able to return to their homes unless there was a major deterioration in the situation. Nineteen people had spent the night taking shelter in a local sports stadium.
Mari said that the Ibizan fire service, technicians from the Balearic Nature Institute (Ibanat) and a military emergency services unit were all working on the priority of putting out the blaze. The fire at Cala Llonga could potentially have destroyed 400 hectares of land but joint efforts by professional teams, volunteers and specialist fire-fighting aircraft had contained the damage to 115 hectares, a spokesman for the control hub said.
Balearic President José Ramón Bauzà visted Ibiza yesterday to see for himself the valiant efforts to tackle the blaze. In a pre-lunch time press conference, Bauzà said that it appeared that the fire had been contained but success depended on meteorological conditions.
Poor visibility
The President said that he had cancelled all appointments and would remain on Ibiza until it was evident the emergency situation was under control. When the fire had started after 8pm the previous evening, visibility had been poor making it impossible for water bearing planes to swoop in over the blaze. The government had categorised the outbreak as being of significant risk due to its proximity to residential areas - encompassing around 800 homes - and had proceeded to evacuate accordingly. The most critical moment of the night said Mayor Mari was when a tank of fuel caught light alongside a private home.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries and damage to residential areas had been minimal. Although investigators have not as yet been able to establish a precise cause of the fire, its epicentre appears to be in the area of Can Vicd'en Pere, next to the Roca Llisa golf course.
Accompanied by the President of the Council of Ibiza, Vicent Serra , Bauzà went to see the damage for himself.