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Fires Impacting on Camino

Kanga

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Francés x 5, Le Puy x 2, Arles, Tours, Norte, Madrid, Via de la Plata, Portuguese, Primitivo
There have been a few threads about current fires that may impact on various caminos. I thought it might be helpful to start a thread to collect information. If anyone has ACCURATE up to date information, please post it here.

Stay safe out there friends.
 
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If anyone has any more information I would be grateful. I am currently travelling from Santiago to sarria by bus (have finished my Camino) as I had planned to go to a more unofficial hostel (to help and relax) on the alternative route near tricastela. The one that does not go past samos. I will stay in sarria till I get more information as I’m now quite worried about the cluster of houses I planned to go to. I’m hopeful everyone is ok.
 
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The Spanish news site is reporting on the fires in Galicia. The main page is http://www.rtve.es/noticias/.
Then follow the links as they change daily. The places affected are being listed.
More and more as I have progressed along the Camino I’ve wished I could speak Spanish but I can pick out some place names in the reports at least. Thanks!
 
We saw active fire above Triacastela about 11.00 local time today. It was in the trees on the hillside to the left of town as you come in - we saw the line of flame. As we shot past in a taxi, I must confess, having found last night's fire at Fonfria a little close for comfort. And then more flame along the road to Samos, as @markmcilroy has posted on another thread. And between Samos and Sarria several places where smoke was coming out of the trees. The air was very smoky around and above Triacastela, poor visibility too although that was mixed with fog I think. Here in Sarria there is no smell but the light is weird, sort of yellowish. Really hoping what look like rain clouds cone to something soon!
 
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We drove from Madrid to Santiago last night and there were fires in the Ourense area, with smoke cover all the way to Santiago. It was hard to breathe - and we were thankfully in a car. Those on the Camino Sanabres especially, please be careful. There are also many fires near Porto, Portugal, and near Vigo, Spain. So those on the Camino Portugues will need to be aware and take care as well.

There is a map of fires and a list of towns affected in Galicia and Asturias at this article: https://www.elconfidencial.com/espa...s-galicia-mapa-vigo-ourense-portugal_1461352/ It's in Spanish, but hopefully folks can make it out.

Thankfully it's supposed to rain all week.
Buen Camino and be safe!
Faith
 
There have been a few threads about current fires that may impact on various caminos. I thought it might be helpful to start a thread to collect information. If anyone has ACCURATE up to date information, please post it here.

Stay safe out there friends.

I am in Las Herrerias as I type. Staying here for the night. Just walked from Villa Franca del Bierzo. Smoke very dense. O Cebreiro tomorrow. Any idea what conditions are like there.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Yup.... pretty scary stuff it's turned out to be. God willing the rains will come in the morning and the communities will be safe from the scourge of any further fire. The ash is very thick in villafranca.
 
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The regrettable thing about forest and brush fires is they create their own energy and wind forces as the oxygen is consumed the wind forces increase. It is very difficult to out run one of these. Be aware that the fire may not kill you but the lack of oxygen will. There is a compelling movie being released this week Only The Brave about the Granite Mountain fire.
 
A firefighter has been arrested for having started the fires, or at least six of them. If the authorities have in fact gotten the right criminal, it seems that he set the fires on his way to work and then when he got to work was called out to fight the fires he set. There seems to be no limit to the ways in which minds and souls can get twisted.

http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-ou...adista-municipal-lobios-presunto/1764332.html
 
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A firefighter has been arrested for having started the fires, or at least six of them. If the authorities have in fact gotten the right criminal, it seems that he set the fires on his way to work and then when he got to work was called out to fight the fires he set. There seems to be no limit to the ways in which minds and souls can get twisted.

http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-ou...adista-municipal-lobios-presunto/1764332.html
Isn’t that called Hero Syndrome or something along those lines, also seen in nurses, doctors.
 
We are due to arrive in Ourense on Sunday, Oct 22nd and intend to walk for 6 days to Santiago. Not so sure we should embark on this if in fact there is a chance for dangerous conditions. We will wait to see how the week plays out. Please be safe all of you out there on the trail!
 
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A firefighter has been arrested for having started the fires, or at least six of them. If the authorities have in fact gotten the right criminal, it seems that he set the fires on his way to work and then when he got to work was called out to fight the fires he set. There seems to be no limit to the ways in which minds and souls can get twisted.

http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-ou...adista-municipal-lobios-presunto/1764332.html

This is just sad. Sad that he did it and sad that he was so pressed for employment that he felt he needed to do it.
I need a gin/tonic.
I'm not liking humans much today.
 
I am in Las Herrerias as I type. Staying here for the night. Just walked from Villa Franca del Bierzo. Smoke very dense. O Cebreiro tomorrow. Any idea what conditions are like there.
Unless you can get accurate advice as to conditions on the trail via La Faba best advice stay put or follow the sealed road up via Laguna. You might have to consider taking a bus (probably via Lugo) if your time in Spain is restricted. But overall - stay safe. Buen camino.
 
My goodness! What a year! Fires ate up 1/3 of California and looks like Spain and Portugal are getting hit. Hurricanes on the east coast and I near one is nearing the UK.
I'll sure be happy when things calm down!
Hola Annie - this is the second lot of forest fires for western Spain and Portugal - they had them back in mid-June. I know that eucalypt (Australian Gum) tress burn fiercely but I though Galacia had over 200 days of rain so its hard to understand what is happening!!
 
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Unless you can get accurate advice as to conditions on the trail via La Faba best advice stay put or follow the sealed road up via Laguna. You might have to consider taking a bus (probably via Lugo) if your time in Spain is restricted. But overall - stay safe. Buen camino.

Just talked to a man whose wife is an emergency dispatcher up that way. Pilgrim Way is still clear and safe in that area. Most of the smoke is coming from fires in the next big valley over to the east, a good 10 km or more away from where you are. He says "the urgency is going out of her voice now," but these are not official reports.

The fires are still alive south of Triacastela, but they are losing force as the rain continues.
 
There was a big fire when we walked the VdlP, around Castro Dozon. (A couple of years ago).
NOTHING like the tragedy that's happening right now of course but.... for hours we walked practically in the dark, In heavy smoke and bits of ashes falling on us and everywhere. It wasn't pleasant. Please take care out there, this is much more serious.
 
My goodness! What a year! Fires ate up 1/3 of California and looks like Spain and Portugal are getting hit. Hurricanes on the east coast and I near one is nearing the UK.
I'll sure be happy when things calm down!

Also here in Canada, Annie--since May over 3,050,000 acres burned in BC and Alberta. There are still wildfires burning.
I hope for enough rain in Spain and Portugal (and more out in western Canada) to get those fires out.
 
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There have been a few threads about current fires that may impact on various caminos. I thought it might be helpful to start a thread to collect information. If anyone has ACCURATE up to date information, please post it here.

Stay safe out there friends.

Yes, please do Fellow Pilgrims. Right now I am int he city of Tui. Just below the said fires. And I do not know how to proceed. Will stay put until I get word how to do so appropriately. I have been walking since Lisbon. So close but yet so far!!!

Thank you.
Lisa
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
A firefighter has been arrested for having started the fires, or at least six of them. If the authorities have in fact gotten the right criminal, it seems that he set the fires on his way to work and then when he got to work was called out to fight the fires he set. There seems to be no limit to the ways in which minds and souls can get twisted.

I had a sick feeling it might be something like this --- there was a similar scandal down here in the South of France some years ago of part-time firefighters starting some very very nasty fires in order to create extra work and extra income for themselves.

The French put an end to it by both toughening up the potential punishments and by eliminating the financial incentive by changing their contracts. This doesn't get rid of all of the arsonists of course, but it has reduced these crimes to a somewhat significant degree, down here anyway.
 
I walked for a few days through a zone of forest fires in the South of France on my 2005 Camino -- worrisome in particular because in a couple of locations the only accommodation available was my sleeping bag and the outdoors. And being alone like that, there was no organised network of other pilgrims to rely on for information.

But I found that in general, paying close attention to wind direction in relation to the blazes, careful and frequent consultation of your map, and keeping as much as possible onto the tarmac and in the valleys and away from the wooded areas kept you out of trouble -- some pilgrims might want to consider following these tactics in the affected areas rather than following the yellow arrows, which have not been put down in relation to the current situation.

Buen Camino to all of you out there these days, keep sensible and keep out of the way of these fires !!!
 
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I'm seeing that for Astorga and Rabanal rain is forecast for today and the next two days. Let's hope it arrives and is widespread.
 
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We are in Lisbon now, heading north on Thursday. The fires are all over the news, but nothing more than what we've learned here. We may need to bus around nearer to the coast north of Tomar. If we learn anything "on the ground" we'll let you know.
 
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Please be safe out there, everyone. I hope the rain comes soon!
As for people who may have set fires, as they sow, so shall they reap. It's very sad that things have come to this.
 
Any information from members on the Primitivo?
 
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Just a couple suggestions about fires if you can’t see more than 300 Meters, your in bad smoke foryour health bus out of it.

If you see fire in the distance with high winds thesmoke will puff big plumes of smoke in a row turnaround & bus around it. Fire moves very fast inthose conditions it actually creates its own wind &fire twisters.
Copied from another thread
 
... but I though Galacia had over 200 days of rain so its hard to understand what is happening!!

Unfortunately we had an extremely dry summer here in Galicia (and other parts of Spain) plus hurricane Ophelia paid us a passing visit with strong winds, so conditions were "ideal" for this catastrophe. Buen Camino, SY
 
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Just Arrived in Astorga (from Villar de Mazarife): The whole day short periods of light rain. At the moment unfortunately no rain. This would not be sufficient to put out the fires.
 
I read in the paper that there might be economic reasons to set fires. After the fire there will grow young plants and trees that could be eaten by herds. It's perhaps no coincidence that these fires are set when forecasts predict rain. For sure it's playing with the lives of other people. Time will hopefully tell what exactly did happen
 
My goodness! What a year! Fires ate up 1/3 of California and looks like Spain and Portugal are getting hit. Hurricanes on the east coast and I near one is nearing the UK.
I'll sure be happy when things calm down!

I think the weather is just tired of we humans and some of our leaders too high temperatures and rhetoric. Now, even contemplative routes are affected. As the song says: Its time for a cool, cool, change.
Stay safe pilgrims.
Buen camino please.
 
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Take care all over the camino--wherever the prevailing winds come from the direction of the fires. The dangers to health from smoke inhalation can extend hundreds of kilometers from the actual fire locations. We had that experience here last fall on the southeast coast of South Carolina. The fires were in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, hundreds of kilometers west of us, and the prevailing winds here are from the west. Lots of respiratory and allergic problems, even weeks after the fires were extinguished.
 
Hi plan to head out to lugo this weekend and start trekking toward Santiago Saturday. Read a bit about the fires in northwestern Spain and Portugal. Anyone with insights here on if this trek is still ok or I need to do some replanning?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Can anyone help us with deciding or plan? We are well through our Camino but paused on Monday til the fire danger setlles. Thinking of going to Santiago and taking a bus to Sarria on the weekend to finish what is left for us next week - maybe start walking on Sunday. We only want to do that if it is safe.

It's difficult to know what is happening with the fires. Does anyone have any information - has there been rain. Are the fires extinguished? Are there any near the Camino? Would be really helpful if anyone could tell us anything.

Buen Camino.
 
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From looking at the updated fire maps I can't see anything active close to the Camino Francés. Perhaps someone currently Astorga and Santiago could post information.

If anyone is walking a path through areas that have been recently burnt, try to keep some situational awareness. Badly burnt big trees sometimes come down in a hurry.
 
Thanks for the comments. Any updates on the current fire situation between Sarria and Santiago would be greatly appreciated. Just want to finalise our plan to restart or Camino from Sarria on Sunday 22 October.
 
I walked today from Astorga to Foncebadon. 20 mins before Foncebadon there is a burned area. It is not so big and has only small trees on it. This is definitively no danger.
 
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Active fires are out, some spots are still supervised but the main danger, thanks to the rainy/misty weather and the efforts of the fire fighters are over. Caminos are safe to walk as of time of writing. BC SY
 
When we left Lisbon this morning our host told us that the fires in Portugal were out thanks to the recent rains.
I'm sure we'll see more as we head north.
 
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We are in Arca and walked to Triacastela October 17 and the fires were all put out by the rain. Tomorrow Santiago.
 
A firefighter has been arrested for having started the fires, or at least six of them. If the authorities have in fact gotten the right criminal, it seems that he set the fires on his way to work and then when he got to work was called out to fight the fires he set. There seems to be no limit to the ways in which minds and souls can get twisted.

http://www.farodevigo.es/portada-ou...adista-municipal-lobios-presunto/1764332.html
It seems that's not as uncommon occurence as one might imagine.
 
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