At Farasdués they know well what fear is, which begins exactly the moment a flame is lit. They experienced it two years ago and 11 years ago when a fire forced them to leave their homes and stay in the shelter of Ejea de los Caballeros. Now they are concerned about the intense fire that originated in Orés this Wednesday at noon and that is already one of the most devastating in Aragon in recent years.
«When a fire occurs in these towns, first there is expectation, then fear and then terror because we have already lived through it. We are following all the information and seeing how the fire goes. Here there are grandparents with their grandchildren, everything, and if they tell us we will have to go out,» says Pilar Tris, a member of the Neighborhood Council of the municipality of Las Cinco Villas.
In just a few hours, the town has become a coming and going of military personnel from the UME, Civil Guard, brigades, firefighters, technicians, professionals and helicopters and light aircraft that fly over the town non-stop. The Infoar Advanced Command Post has been installed there and that is where for 24 hours there has been a lack of hands for everything.
«The only thing we can do is help and we have been non-stop since yesterday. We put on our hats and aprons and started making omelettes and sandwiches helping the person who runs the village bar. We are making 70 sandwiches, 100 sandwiches… We have also used the fridges and freezers of the neighbours to be able to store the water, at least so that they have something to drink,» explains Pilar.
«YOU SEE THEM COMING FROM THE FIRE EXHAUSTED»
About 80 UME troops have been working in the area since yesterday and the old Farasdués schools have been converted into a kind of temporary accommodation. «The space is true that it is not very large but we told them that they had it at their disposal, it has air conditioning and they are being able to use the showers in the pools. We prepared everything for them and they have been there resting as best they could. It was a bit crazy because those who got up wanted coffee, of course, and then we had to go and look for thermoses of coffee… It’s all being a bit like that,» says the resident of the municipality.
In the midst of this «madness«, they have still had time for the youngest children of the municipality not to feel so much about the concern of the fire. And it is that the summer playroom in which they have been doing their activities for a few days is located in the facilities now occupied by the UME, so the center for the elderly has now become a space for games and fun. «Then they will go to the pool and, at least, so we also keep them entertained so that they do not notice our concern because the older ones do notice…».
Despite the tiredness, the sleep «with half an eye open» due to worry and the smell of smoke, in Farasdués they have energy for «two days, three or whatever» helping non-stop. «We are going to do whatever it takes to make them as comfortable as possible. You feel tired but as soon as you see them arrive so exhausted you say: Come on, let’s continue!», concludes Pilar Tris.
