The residents of the area got quite a scare this Sunday when, shortly before three in the afternoon, a dense and dark smoke The fire began to rise from the Waste Treatment Center (CTR) facilities. The incident, which took place at kilometer 3,900 of the DSA-660 highway, quickly aroused understandable concern as it was perfectly visible from towns such as Moriscos and even from the city of Salamanca, generating a cascade of more than fifty calls to the emergency services alerting them to the magnitude of the flames.
The rapid response of the firefighting teams meant that, despite how spectacular the fire appeared at first glance, the situation could be brought under control. control and demarcate with agility During the same day. According to various official sources, the incident did not cause any personal injuries, although it did require a significant security deployment to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas of the complex or endangering the workers who were on site.
Origin of the flames in the Gomecello complex
Everything points to the fire having started specifically in the area designated for the bulky wasteA confined space within the facility where large items are stored. Although the exact causes are still under technical investigation, the combustion of these materials was responsible for the striking plume of smoke that put half the province on alert. Fortunately, because the area was well contained, firefighters were able to directly attack the source of the fire from the very beginning.
The Salamanca Provincial Council has emphasized that, although the fire was very alarming due to the nature of what was burning, at no point the main structure was compromised of the plant. This has been fundamental in ensuring that the center did not have to close, even temporarily, maintaining its normal work pace while the operators and firefighters completed the cooling tasks in the affected perimeter.
A coordinated emergency operation
To extinguish this large fire, teamwork between different institutions was necessary. Initially, the following were deployed to the scene: nine officers from the Villares fire stations The firefighters from La Reina and Ledesma were supported by two fire engines and water tankers. They were not alone in this battle against the fire, as the Castile and León regional government also lent a hand by sending two more rural fire engines with six additional personnel to ensure the flames did not spread to the surrounding areas.
A very important detail in the management of this incident was the collaboration of the company that manages the CTR itself. They made their resources available to the operation. heavy machinery and shovel operatorsThese efforts proved crucial in moving the debris and allowing the firefighters' water to reach the heart of the blaze. Meanwhile, several Civil Guard patrols coordinated security at the access points and ensured that no one approached the danger zone out of mere curiosity.
Positive developments and advice for the population
As the hours passed, the situation went from an active emergency to a monitoring phase. Later that night, the The evolution was much more positive. The fire was less severe than initially expected, allowing most of the fire trucks to withdraw in stages. Only one water tanker remained on standby to monitor for possible flare-ups, a common occurrence in these types of fires where materials can continue to retain heat for a considerable time.
As a precaution, authorities recommended that residents of neighboring municipalities, if they noticed a burning smell or saw smoke descending to ground level, They will close doors and windows. at home. It wasn't that there was an extreme chemical risk, but it's always best to avoid breathing that stuffy air, especially for people with respiratory problems or children, and it's also advisable not to do outdoor sports in areas where the smoke plume was densest.
Today, the Gomecello plant is operating normally and the fire is considered stabilized, leaving the remains to be extinguished. complete their combustion in a controlled manner within the already cordoned-off area. This is a standard technique in these cases to ensure that no embers remain hidden. Thanks to the expertise of the SPEIS (Fire and Rescue Service) and the rapid coordination of all the resources involved, what could have been an environmental disaster has turned out to be a major scare that, fortunately, has not resulted in any injuries or irreparable damage to Salamanca's infrastructure.