Hi Markus!!
Curiously, I wanted to talk about those news, but I still had no time... No, not directly affected, but more affected that I could think. The fire is in the zone of Figueres (do you remember it, O Highest Priest among the Higest? There, where we almost got throwed away from Dalí Museum?) It's quite far from my city, more or less 140 Km... but today I've woken up and left my home at 6.30 am, as usual, and the city was covered in some kind of fog... ashy smelly fog. It was, of course, the smoke brought there by wind. Later, already in Barcelona (200 Km from the fire) the smoke arrived there too... and it reached even farther: even to Mallorca, I've read! Winds have been terrible... and winds flare the fire up frightfully!
Stupid people... it's said the fire started because of, at least, two cigarettes thrown from the window on the road. Why people keep smoking and throwing the cigarette when there is so much vegetation on the sides?? When yesterday there was a terrible wind (80-90 Km/h) and all vegetation is so thick and dry because of the lack of rain? Which stupid person (o people, as there were two of them!) could do it without thinking in the consequences??!
There have been four dead people right now, and I really wish it will stop there. A lot of people got caught on the road, unable to continue or go back, and so did a lot of tourists. At work, one of my colleages was near there and today have not been able to come, as he has no mean to travel here (no road, no train, people said to get locked at home or special places like gyms prepared for that...) Fortunately he's all right, only unable to travel back. And I know a lot of people who was there or nearby, as it's a very nice and touristic place.
Thank you for your concern, Markus. I realize how bad the fire is when I see that the news reached the international news... I cross my fingers for the wind changing, as it's expected, and firemen be able to work on it and extinguish as soon as possible. I'll keep you updated.
Btw... I share with you a photo from the newspaper of Barcelona in thw worst moment of the smoke (remember, 200 km from the fire). It has lasted few time, as wind pushed it to the south, but two or three hours previously THAT smoke was on my town, saying me "hello"...