Wildfires on Invierno

[SuedeCrush]

I know this is a bit of a stretch, but I just left Leon on a bus for Ponferrada to start walking tomorrow. The air was thick with wildfire smoke and I decided to pop on the forum to see if something was going on. I saw the ‘Alert’ thread by Ivar on the main page, but was wondering if anyone here has heard how bad things are along the Invierno?

A news article in Ivar’s thread mentioned O Barco and A Pobra as areas of concern. I’m just looking for either reassurances or warnings.

 

[Tincatinker]

When you get to Ponderrada find a bar and watch the TV. Ask your accommodation provider what they know. Similarly ask the staff at the Tourismo. Any info on the forum is likely to be behind the wave. The general rule for Pilgrims just now is: “Try to not do anything that might cause the emergency services to be distracted from their most pressing task”.
Good luck. Be prepared to change your plans and objectives, perhaps even more than once

 

[SuedeCrush]

When you get to Ponderrada find a bar and watch the TV. Ask your accommodation provider what they know. Similarly ask the staff at the Tourismo. Any info on the forum is likely to be behind the wave. The general rule for Pilgrims just now is: “Try to not do anything that might cause the emergency services to be distracted from their most pressing task”.
Good luck. Be prepared to change your plans and objectives, perhaps even more than once

Yeah, being flexible is where it’s at. My experiences with wildfires in the western US help me to know that I don’t want to walk through the air I can see in Ponferrada.

We’ll probably spend an extra day in Ponferrada to get an idea as to where the fires are and then transport ourselves farther west and start walking from there.
Bonus to that I guess is that we’ll probably be 4-5 days ahead of schedule so we can have short days, every day.

 

[ivar]

Yes, ask the locals... tomorrow will be a cooler day, maybe even some rain... then it will get warmer again. But hopefully, tomorrow will help.

 

[SuedeCrush]

Tourist offices in Ponferrada and Monforte say that the path is open, but the situation is bad. At least that’s what my bad Spanish picked up.
The air in Ponferrada this morning was smokey, but not as terrible as it was last night. The occasional ash falls from the sky still however.

 

[SuedeCrush]

We’re busing ourselves to Monforte to start past the burned up areas around O Barco, so trimming a 12 day walk down to 6-7 days will mean, I’m hoping, very short walking days all the way to Santiago.

 

[miguel_gp]

We’re busing ourselves to Monforte to start past the burned up areas around O Barco, so trimming a 12 day walk down to 6-7 days will mean, I’m hoping, very short walking days all the way to Santiago.

Sorry to hear that your Camino is cut shorter but for good reason. Buen Camino.

 

[El Cascayal]

Last year in November it was truly heartbreaking on the to walk through recently arsonist induced devastated forests that jumped the roads & reached the river. Scorched trees and animal life destroyed. The acrid smell still pervasive after several weeks. In spite of the destruction new plant life emerged alongside the Camino, a streak of hope.

 

[SuedeCrush]

Almost live report: at about 16:30 on the bus to Monforte, active fire north of the river a couple of miles east of O Barco. The fire was a hundred meters or so from the N120 I’d guess. Fire had obviously gotten to the highway at some point previously a little farther east of the current active fire. Some burned buildings etc.
At O Barco the hillsides south of the river across from the town were a smoldering moonscape.
From Montefurado west, no signs of fire and air quality appears to be good from inside the bus. I could no longer smell the smoke inside anyway, which I could ever since leaving Ponferrada.

 

[world walker]

My advice for walkers in these terrible times ( I live in major fire country in PNW ) is please take other routes far far away from fires so that the firemen can do their exhausting work without worrying about Camino walkers .
Ivan has much great advice on all the camions that are safer at this time thanks to this site

 

[Michelle G Daoust]

Some good points here re: walking on other routes and being aware of the work that the Emergency services are/will need to do.
I am in the process of finalizing the last week of reservations for my walk from Le Puy to St. Jean Pied du Port, starting August 7th (as seems to be suggested when walking in France…book ahead). I see the fires in France, the heat…..and I truly wonder whether it is wise to fly from Vancouver Canada to France at this time. I know the weather can change…as always. I know it has to be my decision, but wow, any great wisdom would be appreciated. It is my husband (70) and I (nearly 60) who are walking….we are currently at 35 C in my town (and it will be warmer than that in August) so heat is not ‘unknown’ to us, but walking with a pack, day after day, is a different story . Be well all of you currently on the Camino/Caminho/Chemin.

 

[dbier]

While I don't know what training you two gave done in the heat...if you choose to come, consider daily shipping everything ahead except a small pack filled with water, electrolytes, and some food. ( I presume, hopefully rightly, that France has an equivalent to the Spanish Correos....)

 

[world walker]

Some good points here re: walking on other routes and being aware of the work that the Emergency services are/will need to do.
I am in the process of finalizing the last week of reservations for my walk from Le Puy to St. Jean Pied du Port, starting August 7th (as seems to be suggested when walking in France…book ahead). I see the fires in France, the heat…..and I truly wonder whether it is wise to fly from Vancouver Canada to France at this time. I know the weather can change…as always. I know it has to be my decision, but wow, any great wisdom would be appreciated. It is my husband (70) and I (nearly 60) who are walking….we are currently at 35 C in my town (and it will be warmer than that in August) so heat is not ‘unknown’ to us, but walking with a pack, day after day, is a different story . Be well all of you currently on the Camino/Caminho/Chemin.

Le puy to SJPP is a beautiful walk I did it in 2007 in early spring with still snow on ground in couple of places. But in august it’s another story. Am 73 and can’t handle the heat so I usually hike here in PNW / and Canadian Rockies in summer and head for Europe in mid September to
November which is lovely and less busy.
Good luck.