A fire at the scrap yard in Puerto de Pasaia (Gipuzkoa) caused a large plume of smoke on Friday morning, 21 August 2026. The authorities issued an ES-Alert for the municipality of Lezo and surrounding areas, urging residents to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed and switch off ventilation systems. According to the Basque government’s Security Department, the fire is under control, but firefighting efforts are continuing because of persistent smoke.
Emergency crews report that end-of-life vehicles and batteries are the main items burning. As pollutants may be emitted, people were advised to remain indoors as a precaution. The warning sent by mobile phone read: “Incendio industrial en el puerto, CONFÍNESE. Permanezca en el interior, cierre puertas y ventanas y apague la ventilación. Siga instrucciones de fuentes oficiales.“ The authorities initially had no confirmed information about injuries or specific property damage. No evacuation was ordered; for now, the guidance is to stay indoors temporarily until smoke levels fall.
The Autoridad Portuaria de Pasaia has reminded the Plan de Autoprotección (PAU) activated. The fire service, emergency call and response service SOS Deiak as well as harbour tug of Puerto de Pasaia are working together in a coordinated operation. Efforts are focused on containing remaining hotspots and cooling affected piles of material to prevent the fire from flaring up again and further reduce smoke. The incident command specifically asked the public to follow instructions only from official sources.
The ES-Alert was primarily directed at Lezo, where the smoke was most noticeable. The authorities are monitoring the situation continuously and intend to update their advice as soon as it is safe to do so. No cause of the fire had been reported by the time of publication; investigations are due to begin once the site has been fully secured. What is clear is that visibility and air quality around the port have been temporarily affected by the “substantial wall of smoke” described by the authorities. The precautionary measures remain in force until the all-clear is given. The focus therefore remains on hazard response and public protection while emergency crews keep the flames under control.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).