A severe electrical storm that registered over 2,000 lightning strikes in Gipuzkoa within a four-hour period yesterday resulted in a small fire near Mount Arraseta in Legazpi. The blaze was located past the Ormazarreta riding stable, beneath the popular beech trees and viewpoint of the area.

The combination of rain and lightning descended upon the skies of Legazpi around 9:00 PM. The Municipal Police received notification of the fire around 9:15 PM, both from SOS Deiak and from several residents who called to report the presence of fire on the mountain, which was clearly visible from the town amidst continuous flashes of lightning and rain.

In fact, a video recorded from a home and provided to the Municipal Police by a Legazpi resident helped firefighters pinpoint the exact location of the fire. The area was difficult to access, posing significant challenges for the firefighting teams due to the abundance of dense scrub and undergrowth, primarily gorse. Fortunately, the rain helped to diminish the intensity of the flames. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire in just about an hour, by approximately 10:00 PM.

Fortunately, the fire only damaged a few square meters of land and did not affect any other installations. The primary hypothesis is that it was caused by the impact of one of the many lightning bolts that struck the vegetation in Legazpi.