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The officers are exhausted after marathon shifts without a break. They spend whatever free time they have left sleeping. However, during one of those brief moments, this officer spoke to ABC. \u201cSorry about the cough, but yesterday I had to take my mask off,\u201d he says, referring to the constant clearing of his throat that has left him hoarse on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n
Usecic is working closely with the Reserve and Security Groups (GRS). They are patrolling the ghost towns to prevent them from being looted in circumstances similar to those experienced during the storm in Valencia. The fact is that misfortune can be exploited by a few to cause harm. So far, no such thefts have been detected.<\/p>\n
Madrid, \u00c1vila, Toledo, and Castell\u00f3n: the Guardia Civil is on the ground with hundreds of officers at the most challenging hotspots of this wave of fires ravaging the entire Iberian Peninsula. Any help is welcome and much appreciated. The officers on patrol in Burgohondo are being assisted by a Portuguese gendarme. This officer was walking the Camino de Santiago when he was caught up in the flames. He decided to lend a hand and join the Spanish operation. The scale of the fire means they have to start their shifts earlier practically every day. Their shift runs from half past eleven in the morning until three in the morning. \u201cWe\u2019re very tired. Our area consists of housing estates that have become small villages in the lower part of the Ti\u00e9tar Valley,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
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One of the Guardia Civil patrols at the fire.<\/p>\n
(ABC)<\/p>\n
The work of these officers focuses on evacuating all residents from areas threatened by the flames. Other members of the Armed Forces are tasked with blocking access to the villages. They are also transporting residents who are unable to leave. One of the things that has struck them most is the willingness of the people in these villages to help. They have even received assistance in evacuating care homes. \u201cThe fire front is very extensive and you need to get a lot of people out quickly. Some people can move about on their own, but others are disabled and use wheelchairs. Everyone in the villages is doing their bit. They\u2019re giving their all to save them, and it\u2019s truly admirable,\u201d explains this officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people don\u2019t understand why they have to leave their homes. Especially the livestock farmers, who refuse to leave their villages. Their livestock is their life and their family. We try to persuade them, but in these cases all we can do is ask for their details so we can contact them if anything happens,\u201d laments the Guardia Civil officer. Despite their refusals, officers try every possible means to convince them. \u201cWe can\u2019t arrest them or force them,\u201d he emphasises.<\/p>\n
One of the problems they are encountering during their operations is the attitude of some local mayors who \u201cproclaim themselves to be the \u2018little bosses\u2019 of the response and start directing volunteers to clear certain areas\u201d when the professional firefighters\u2019 orders are quite different: that they should leave the area. \u201cThey pay no heed and won\u2019t listen to reason,\u201d criticises this officer.<\/p>\n
\nBeer and the end of the world\n<\/p>\n
Some people seem unaware of the seriousness of the situation. A case in point was when officers were going round the Sotillo de la Adrada area to evacuate residents. \u201cIn one of the bars, people were sitting calmly, having a few beers. These are scenes straight out of a typical end-of-the-world film,\u201d he remarks. Such circumstances arise at a time when the authorities themselves are emphasising that this fire is \u2018unputoutable\u2019.<\/p>\n
The fact is that many of those being helped get anxious and have nowhere else to go. The most dramatic scenes are taking place in care homes. \u201cPhysically, they can\u2019t move, but they\u2019re perfectly lucid. It\u2019s shocking to see the elderly crying,\u201d he says. It was at one of these care homes that they experienced one of their most tense moments. An octogenarian told them, \u201cLeave me here alone, give me the gun.\u201d In such difficult moments, the officers have to steel themselves, keep their cool, and try to reassure the man.<\/p>\n