Firefighters Watch Collserola After Barcelona Forest Fire Is Stabilized
Listen to the story
A large forest fire near Barcelona, in the Collserola park area, has now been stabilized, meaning it is no longer spreading.
The fire burned around 50 hectares of land, according to reports. A hectare is a common unit used to measure the size of land areas.
Firefighters worked to control the flames, and their efforts have brought the situation under control, although the fire is not fully extinguished.
Around 15,000 residents in nearby areas of Barcelona were forced to stay indoors or leave their homes during the fire, a process known as confinement or evacuation.
Now that the fire has stabilized, many of those residents have been able to return to their houses.
Despite this progress, fire crews are keeping close watch on active hot spots, which are small areas where fire is still burning or could restart.
A fire service spokesperson said, 'There are still hours of work left,' showing that the operation is not yet completely over.
Firefighters are increasing surveillance, or careful watching, of the area to make sure the fire does not grow again.
This kind of close monitoring is common after large fires, since wind or dry conditions can cause new flames to appear.
Authorities have not given further details about the cause of the fire or any injuries.
The story continues to develop as fire teams remain on site to secure the area.
Vocabulary7 words
- stabilized
- made stable; stopped from getting worse
- hectares
- units used to measure large areas of land
- extinguished
- completely put out; no longer burning
- confinement
- when people must stay in a place, often for safety
- active hot spots
- small areas where fire is still burning
- spokesperson
- a person who speaks officially for a group
- surveillance
- careful watching of a place or situation
Quiz
Answer key
1. The fire stopped spreading 2. About 50 3. Because active hot spots could restart the fire
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A large forest fire near Barcelona, in the Collserola park area, has now been _____.
The fire burned around 50 _____ of land, according to reports.
Firefighters worked to control the flames, although the fire is not fully _____.
Around 15,000 residents were forced to stay indoors or leave their homes, a process known as _____.
Now that the fire has stabilized, many residents have been able to return to their _____.
Fire crews are keeping close watch on _____, small areas where fire is still burning.
A fire service _____ said, 'There are still hours of work left.'
Firefighters are increasing _____ of the area to make sure the fire does not grow again.
This kind of close monitoring is common after large _____.
Authorities have not given further details about the _____ of the fire.