The forest fire of The Rocks of Riglos faces decisive hours after six days of fighting the flames. More than 15,000 hectares have been affected, more than a thousand people have had to leave their homes and the largest extinguishing device deployed in Aragon continues to work on a fire that is still active. San Juan de la Peña has managed to be protected, but the emergency continues to affect a territory closely related to the Camino de Santiago.
The early morning of this Sunday, August 16, arrives with a mixture of hope and enormous caution in Huesca.
The meteorological change has provided better conditions to fight the Las Peñas de Riglos fire, but the fire still cannot be considered controlled. After six days of emergency, the affected area has continued to grow and the latest available estimates considerably increase the size of one of the large forest fires of this summer.
The figures published during the last hours vary depending on the time of update: some sources speak of more than 15,000 hectares, while later information raises the affected area above 16,600 hectares.
For this reason, at Camino de Santiago RTV we prefer not to offer a fixed figure while the perimeter continues to evolve.
More than a thousand people evacuated
The human dimension of the emergency remains enormous.
The latest information places around 1,021 people evacuated, after protective measures reached 18 nuclei and a campsite.
Among the populations that have been affected during the evolution of the fire there are places directly related to the Jacobean environment and to the access to San Juan de la Peña.
Some restrictions have changed as the different fronts evolved. Santa Cilia and Puente la Reina de Jaca, which had been previously confined, were deconfined, while other towns had to be evacuated later.
This evolution demonstrates why any information aimed at pilgrims must be constantly updated.
The largest extinguishing device deployed in Aragon
The battle against fire is mobilizing extraordinary resources.
During Saturday's day, around 600 troops and more than 30 air resources, with the presence of the UME and teams from different administrations and communities. Some information put up to 35 air assets mobilized at certain times.
The complicated orography is being one of the great obstacles.
The teams working in the field encounter mountainous areas, abundant vegetation and places where it is difficult to introduce personnel with security guarantees. Navarra firefighters deployed to the operation have pointed out precisely these difficulties in containing certain sectors of the fire.
San Juan de la Peña resists
One of the most hopeful news comes from San Juan de la Pena.
The historic monasteries were seriously threatened by the flames and it was necessary to deploy an extraordinary device to protect them. The UME also intervened in the preventive evacuation of important heritage assets.
Among them are remains from the Pantheon of Kings and other historical elements that were moved to prevent them from disappearing if the fire reached the buildings.
The latest information indicates that The monumental complex has been protected and the devastating damage that was feared during the most critical hours has not been recorded.
But the danger experienced leaves an image that is difficult to forget: one of the great historical symbols of Aragon surrounded by a fire of enormous dimensions.
The Camino de Santiago, pending evolution
The emergency also has a Jacobean dimension.
The surroundings of San Juan de la Peña are related to the historical pilgrimage routes that cross Aragon and later link with the French Way.
During the last few days, confinements, evacuations, closed roads and the suspension of railway circulation between Ayerbe and Sabiñánigo They have seriously complicated mobility in the area.
Therefore, the recommendation for any pilgrim who intends to cross this territory remains the same:
Check the situation immediately before starting the stage and obey the instructions of the emergency services.
A Trail app or map should not be used as a substitute for official information during a forestry emergency.
A detainee in provisional prison
The investigation into the origin of the fire has also advanced.
a man of 28 years He was arrested for his alleged relationship with the start of the fire. Subsequently, the judge agreed to admit him to provisional arrest without bail.
The investigation has related the starting point to the area of some works near the road A-132, although it must be the judicial procedure that finally determines the responsibilities.
Time offers an opportunity
After extremely difficult days, the change in weather conditions has opened a window of hope.
The drop in temperatures and rainfall recorded in nearby areas have made it possible to work in somewhat more favorable conditions. However, storms and especially erratic wind changes They can also complicate the behavior of the fire.
That is why it is not yet time to talk about the end of the emergency.
Six days looking towards the mountains
In less than a week, Riglos has gone from being one of the most recognizable landscapes in Aragon to becoming the epicenter of a gigantic anti-fire operation.
Behind the figures are evacuated towns, neighbors waiting to return to their homes, exhausted firefighters, evacuated heritage and thousands of hectares of landscape transformed.
There is also a part of the territory through which pilgrims have traveled towards Santiago for centuries.
The good news is that San Juan de la Peña continues standing.
The bad thing is that the fire is still active.
And until the firefighting teams can definitively consider it under control, prudence continues to be essential
