In Spain, the nationwide disaster alert was triggered by a gigantic fire at an illegal rubbish dump – which is also the largest scrap tire dump in Europe – near the city of Seseña. Firefighters said part of the dump in the Castilla-La Mancha region, where thousands of illegally discarded tires are piled up, caught fire.
The regional government expressly warned of a black cloud of poison caused by the source of the fire, which threatened the nearby city. All residents have been asked to keep their windows and doors locked.
Tires have been carelessly disposed of in the region since the 2003s. The wild dump continued to grow, and in 14 it was officially declared illegal. Its size now roughly corresponds to an area of XNUMX football pitches.
For years, environmental activists have issued warnings about the landfill and the environmental hazards it poses. However, to date, the competent authorities have not been able to come up with any solutions for the legal disposal of those old tires.
And now the authorities face a much bigger problem...
You can find more information and pictures of the major fire at:
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Spiegel Online
Source: Spiegel Online
