19/07/2013 00:00
TW
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Palma.—A relatively small forest fire which broke out on the road from Randa to Cura highlighted an embarrassing split in just who was giving the orders yesterday. The regional Interior ministry called for the services of the Spanish military who happened to be on the island for exercises but the intervention was later rejected by the Nature Protection Services “Ibanat.”

The blaze however, lost no time in destroying 4'600 metres of woodland on the lower mountain slopes and required specialist fire fighting aircraft to help extinguish it. The Balearic authorities had apparently asked Central Government for help from the military but Madrid decided the fire was small enough to be handled by Ibanat.