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A forest fire that broke out in the Sierra de Orihuela, close to the Montepinar urbanisation, kept emergency crews busy throughout the night before finally being stabilised at 4am.

 

Nobody was injured, and the fire's progress was described as favourable in the hours leading up to it being brought under control.

 

The alert came in at 10.17pm, triggering an immediate response from the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium. The location proved challenging from the outset, with the fire starting in a difficult-to-access area around Cruz de la Muela.

 

Nighttime conditions ruled out the use of aerial firefighting resources entirely, meaning ground crews had to tackle the blaze on foot in poor visibility across rough terrain.

 

Firefighters from the Orihuela and Almoradí stations worked alongside forest firefighters, local police, national police, civil protection and emergency services throughout the night.

 

Local residents also played a valuable role, providing directions and local knowledge about access routes that helped emergency teams reach the affected areas more quickly than they might otherwise have managed.

 

Investigators are looking into whether the fire may have been triggered by a lightning strike in the area from a few days earlier, which could have smouldered undetected before eventually taking hold. The cause is still officially under investigation.

 

By early morning, with the fire stabilised, a unit of forest firefighters remained on site carrying out mop-up operations and keeping watch, supported by an aircraft that joined the effort once daylight made aerial operations possible again.

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Orihuela