Fire Fighting in Spain
AmeliaJane wrote: Am amazed at the emergency efforts, including helicopters to douse the fire. They may have made the difference for those few who did escape (or got thrown out). I'm not sure the brush being on fire could cause emergency efforts to be slowed, but the gully/ravine is another issue. I'm not familiar with the airport in question, so don't know whether emergency vehicles would have been able to get close, or if they'd have to aid from up high/at a distance?
Living here in Catalunia (Spain) I can tell you fire-fighting helicopters and other aircraft are stationed everywhere. As in, it's rare not to have a week pass by without training flights or infra-red scans of powerlines from helicopters. And roadside/railside fires nearly always are dealt with from the air, let alone the terrible scrub/forest fires we get when the Tramontana is blowing.
Our local drop-zone (Empuriabrava - LEAP) has had four yellow amphibian water-dropping aircraft stationed there all summer and the nearest fire-fighting helicopter base is on the road to Girona, about 15 miles south.
Every community here has large water resevoirs for the choppers to dip into (they used to use swimming pools but owners objected !) and when it gets really bad the big Bombadier's arrive with water plus supressant foam.
I can't speak for the rest of Spain although I suspect it's the same, but aerial fire-fighting in Catalunia is very well organised.