Wildfire forces closure of road between La Unión and Portmán

Flames started in pine woodland near house and spread rapidly

A wildfire scare in Portmán forced the closure of the road to La Unión on Monday afternoon, near the municipal border with Cartagena.

Shortly after 2.30pm, several calls alerted the emergency services (112) to the fire, which broke out near the junction to El Gorguel, on the Los Palmeros estate.

According to witnesses, it started in the pine undergrowth near a house and spread to other trees on the hillside.

Emergency crews from La Unión’s Civil Protection unit arrived at the scene with a first-response vehicle, along with firefighters from Cartagena City Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, Cartagena’s Civil Protection unit, a helicopter carrying an airborne firefighting brigade, and La Unión Local Police.

La Unión’s Civil Protection units reported that the fire was spreading rapidly across the hillside and requested that the Guardia Civil close the road, as fire service vehicles were blocking the carriageway.

By around 4.15pm, the fire service commander confirmed that the blaze had been brought under control. Later on, emergency services in Cartagena confirmed it had been fully extinguished.

Images: Emergencias Cartagena