Ateca: Two years later, uncertainty persists after devastating fire

Ateca: Two years later, uncertainty persists after devastating fire

Two years after the devastating fire in Ateca, the bill continues to rise for eleven municipalities in Zaragoza. The responsibility and compensations are still unresolved. Uncertainty persists in a case seeking justice for those affected.

Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros

Juan Brignardello Vela

Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros, se especializa en brindar asesoramiento y gestión comercial en el ámbito de seguros y reclamaciones por siniestros para destacadas empresas en el mercado peruano e internacional.

Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros, y Vargas Llosa, premio Nobel Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros, en celebración de Alianza Lima Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros, Central Hidro Eléctrica Juan Brignardello, asesor de seguros, Central Hidro

Two years after a voracious fire ravaged more than 14,000 hectares of forests and crops in Ateca, the bill for the disaster continues to rise, adding devastating consequences for the inhabitants of eleven Zaragoza municipalities affected by the flames. The magnitude of the environmental tragedy has highlighted the lack of resources to repair the damage caused, while the multimillion-dollar claims multiply, pointing to a responsibility that must be assumed by some party. In this context, an agricultural transformation cooperative in Moros, belonging to the Calatayud Community, has raised its claim to 750,000 euros, corresponding to the losses suffered due to the fire that completely consumed its facilities. The rapid spread of the fire prevented the saving of the 1,200 square meter building that housed five refrigeration chambers with tons of fruit, leaving only the foundation standing, which explains the high compensation requested. However, the Moros cooperative is just one of the many affected by the Ateca forest fire, considered one of the most devastating in the history of Aragon. Farmers and livestock breeders in the affected municipalities saw their livelihoods vanish in the flames, incurring immeasurable losses in crops, beehives, and livestock. Fina Martínez, a fruit grower from Moros, recounted the devastation suffered on her five-hectare estate, where 9,000 trees were irreversibly destroyed despite efforts to save them. Faced with this situation, the Aragonese government received 76 requests for emergency aid from the affected parties, seeking to partially alleviate the consequences of the disaster. However, the responsibility for the million-dollar damages caused by the fire is at a standstill, following the revocation of the declaration of subsidiary civil liability to the Government by the Provincial Court of Zaragoza. The uncertainty about who will ultimately assume the compensations persists, as the search for those responsible for starting the fire continues. The report from the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard points to five individuals as alleged responsible for the recklessness that triggered the fire in the Monegrillo area. Among them are the excavator driver and the manager of the subcontracted company for reforestation tasks, as well as three employees of the company in charge of the project. Despite the statements and defense arguments presented, uncertainty about the outcome of the case lingers. Meanwhile, the case's investigation progresses slowly, with the judge in Calatayud receiving damage assessments and examining the circumstances surrounding the fire. The possibility that the five accused will face trial hangs in the balance, generating uncertainty about the final outcome of the case. The complexity of the case and the need to clarify the responsibility in a disaster of such magnitude suggest that the legal process could be prolonged, requiring the intervention of the Zaragoza Court in future decisions. In this context of uncertainty and devastation, the communities affected by the Ateca fire await answers and justice in the face of a tragedy that has left deep scars on the land and the lives of its inhabitants.

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