The President of the Principality of Asturias, Adrián Barbón, believes without hesitation that the forest fires that have devastated his region since last Wednesday are intentional. “They are something premeditated and organized,” he asserted this Saturday, when work was still underway to control the almost 80 active outbreaks throughout the entire Asturian geography, which came to have more than 130 active claims this week. All were controlled throughout the day, with the rain as an important ally in the extinction work, as expected according to the latest weather forecasts.
“I want to make it very clear that the responsibility lies with those who light the fuse, with those who have acted like what they are, authentic terrorists,” said the socialist politician. “I want to see people in jail for what has happened,” Barbón added when the weather situation had already changed favoring the control of some flames, which will have devastated between 11,000 and 14,000 hectares.
Barbón replied to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who during his visit to the affected areas on Friday pointed to climate change “as the cause of the fires.” The Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, also stated that the fires that have affected Castellón and Teruel this week, as well as Asturias, are “the confirmation that climate change is an emergency” whose consequences “we face every day and we have to fight.” She said it herself in Castellón, a province in which the virulent disasters forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents who saw their lives, homes, businesses and farms threatened.
Barbón appeared at a press conference after the meeting of the crisis committee created before the wave of fires with the mayors of the municipalities affected by the fire. He once again insisted before the councilors of the affected populations that the full weight of the law must fall on those who have caused this terrible situation.
“May they pay with full force”
“When I speak of terrorists, I speak of criminals who must be investigated, detected and identified and for whom we want them to pay with all the force that the laws impose,” insisted a forceful and emotional Barbón. He stressed that although “luckily” there have been no deaths “we must be aware that there could have been hundreds of deaths in these days.”
To make it very clear that they are premeditated and organized actions, Barbón gave the Naranco fire in Oviedo as an example, which ignited twelve points at the same time, “something that was done to endanger the houses.” “Around a larger fire, new sources appeared that had nothing to do with the wind and that sought to worsen the situation in many points,” said the Asturian president, who urged citizens not to be afraid and collaborate in order to find someone the culprits if they have any suspicions and appealed the statement of the technicians “who tell us that there is no other explanation.” He also announced that the Principality “will appear as a private prosecution” as soon as there are detainees. He confirmed, however, that at the moment there are only “suspects.”
Barbón admitted not knowing what is being sought by causing so much destruction with the flames. “It’s something we don’t know. There are theories for all tastes, but we must wait for specific data from the investigations, “said the Asturian president, who is very clear that those who have put the lives of hundreds of people at risk” are criminals. “When what happened is analyzed, the formula should be sought to see how to stop these criminals when this happens, because they put us all in a high-risk situation.”
Priorities
Barbón stressed that the priority in these dark days “has been to save lives, save houses and save towns.” For this reason, he thanked all the media and troops that have focused on these priorities. He highlighted the difficulty of coordinating so many troops at once in a way that they are useful.
«Right now we do not have any active fires in Asturias. They are all in a situation of control”, congratulated himself this Saturday Óscar Rodríguez, manager of the Emergency Service of the Principality (SEPA). He announced it together with Barbón in the council of Valdés, the most damaged by the flames that had the region in check for four days.
“We will request the declaration of a catastrophic zone for Asturias or, in any case, for the affected areas,” said the regional president. But it is up to the central government to decide on this declaration based on the damage caused. What will not be delayed “is the aid from the Principality to all people who have suffered losses,” anticipated the head of the regional Executive.
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