Environment

Eighty-five forest fires so far this year

The first big fire of the summer at Cala Tuent. | ALEJANDRO SEPÚLVEDA

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter17/08/2019 04:01

Since the start of the year there have been 85 forest fires in the Balearics.

These have claimed 100.5 hectares, the worst month having been July, when there were 23 fires which affected 83.2 hectares.

Only seven of the fires have been of significance, defined as affecting one hectare or more.

Six of the seven have been in Majorca, where there were 57 fires in all up to mid-August. These claimed 96.3 hectares of the 100.5 across all the islands.

The worst fire so far this year was at Comellar de s'Ermita by Cala Tuent in Escorca.This affected 51 hectares of pinewood.

In 2018, there were 72 fires in the Balearics.

These burned 27.3 hectares. In 2017, the figures were 93 and 167.3 hectares, while the year before there had been 113 fires which claimed 229.8 hectares.