Firefighters remove a five-meter palm in Hurchillo after strong winds threatened public safety
Firefighters in Orihuela were called to remove a palm tree that toppled due to strong winds in the Hurchillo district, the Provincial Fire Consortium reported via social media. The alert came on Saturday at 6:47 p.m. on Calle El Molino in Hurchillo.
The tree, approximately five meters tall, was removed before it could fall onto the road. Fortunately, no injuries or property damage occurred.
The incident highlights a growing concern: the municipality’s palm pruning contract has expired, and a new agreement is still pending. Infrastructure Councillor Víctor Valverde confirmed this during the December council session in response to a question from the PSOE party. Socialist spokesperson Carolina Gracia urged the City Council to implement a comprehensive inspection and maintenance plan for all trees in the municipality, stressing the need for a preventive and continuous management system.
Gracia cited the tragic recent accident in neighboring Torrevieja, where a fallen palm caused the death of a young man. Following that event, the Torrevieja Council carried out an extensive tree inspection, removing 30 high-risk specimens, demonstrating the importance of proactive protocols.
“In Orihuela, we cannot wait for a similar tragedy to act,” Gracia warned. She also recalled a recent windy day when Civil Protection intervened at Plaza Santa Lucía due to the risk posed by another palm, underscoring deficiencies in the maintenance, pruning, and care of certain trees.
Storm Ingrid
Just days before the Hurchillo incident, Atlantic storm Ingrid brought strong winds to the Mediterranean. The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued a yellow warning for the entire Alicante province, with gusts exceeding 100 km/h in some areas, causing minor incidents.
The Emergency and Civil Protection Department advised suspending outdoor activities and closed parks where trees posed a risk, including Severo Ochoa Park and Glorieta Gabriel Miró.
The Provincial Fire Consortium logged 22 interventions that day, including seven in Orihuela and six in Elche. Most involved minor hazards such as loose roof elements, fallen or at-risk trees, and displaced urban structures, with no serious incidents or injuries.
The weekend prior, a large pine branch fell onto Calle Goleta in Punta Prima, Orihuela Costa. Residents had called for an urgent inspection of municipal trees in September 2024 after several incidents, noting that although the 2024 municipal budget allocated one million euros for palm and tree replacement along the coast, no work had been carried out.
