Struggling Town San Vicente de Leira Rebuilding After Larouco Fire: "I'm Left With Only What I'm Wearing"
Village of San Vicente de Leira Left in Ruins After Devastating Fire
The small village of San Vicente de Leira in northwestern Spain has been left in a state of devastation following a devastating fire that has reduced many homes to rubble. The fire, which raged for three days and two nights, has claimed the homes of around 22 people who lived in the village year-round.
Amidst the destruction, a sense of resilience and tenacity remains. Elderly resident Tino, who lost his home in the fire, vows to remain in the village until his death. Another neighbor, Clemente González, managed to keep his home standing, but the village is surrounded by burned and charred trees.
The metallic noise of shovels and the murmur of soldiers moving stones fill the air in San Vicente de Leira as the community works together to clear the debris and begin the long process of rebuilding. Clemente, who has a strong connection to the village, emphasizes that his loved ones are buried in the cemetery and he has no intention of leaving.
The fire in Tino's village has symbolized a greater issue: the fragility of rural areas in the face of fires, the lack of infrastructure, and the solitude of small communities. The mayor of Vilamartín de Valdeorras, where San Vicente de Leira is located, admits to still suffering from the loss but recognizes the need to focus on the work of fixing the damage caused by the fire.
The fire has caused an ecological and environmental disaster, with dead animals on the roads, dying chestnuts, and the potential death of trout in the rivers. Clemente has expressed a desire for a psychologist to come to the village due to feelings of helplessness and abandonment.
The village of San Vicente de Leira is filled with a dense silence, with no birds left. A tired dog wanders the village, seemingly carrying the weight of the smoke in its chest. The neighbors have been claiming to improve the access road for 30 years, but never succeeded in doing so.
The organization that asked Tino for help to improve the road, which had been requested for 30 years to enable the rescue of villages from forest fires, was the neighbors' association of San Vicente de Leira. The mayor of Vilamartín de Valdeorras is worried about the possibility of heavy rain, as it could cause mudslides and destroy what's still standing.
Despite the hardships, the residents of San Vicente de Leira remain determined to rebuild and reclaim their village. Tino, at the age of 83, has only the clothes he's wearing, but he has not lost hope. Clemente predicts that it's unclear how long it will take for assistance to arrive, but the community remains united in their efforts to recover.
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