The wildfire near Segorbe (Castellón province) led to the evacuation of Gátova on Friday, 21 August 2026. The Generalitat Valenciana ordered people to remain indoors for a time, then ordered the town to be evacuated. According to the authorities, around 1,000 people were affected—considerably more than the number of residents on the population register, as additional residents are staying there during the summer months. At the same time, the fire at Pinofranqueado in the region Las Hurdes (Cáceres province) was reported as stabilised after four days of operations.
In the Comunidad Valenciana, incident commanders described the situation near Segorbe as still out of control. The fire developed at least three fronts in difficult-to-access terrain, affecting parts of the Sierra Calderona . On Friday afternoon, shifting winds pushed the smoke towards Gátova; at around 15:00, people were first ordered to stay indoors and then evacuated. Preliminary estimates put the affected area at around 423 hectares. Numerous ground crews and aerial support were deployed to prevent the fire spreading to more woodland.
The state meteorological agency Aemet forecast below-average temperatures for the season and widespread higher rainfall over the coming days, especially in the west of the Iberian Peninsula. This could help firefighting efforts. At the same time, emergency teams warned that local gusts could make the fire’s spread unpredictable.
The situation in Extremadura eased: the fire near Pinofranqueado was classed as stabilised. The Junta de Extremadura initially kept the level at Situación Operativa 2 under its wildfire plan while mop-up operations continued and hotspots were secured. According to the authorities, the preliminary burned area is around 4,350 hectares. Evacuated residents of several affected hamlets (Alquerías) were allowed to return; some road sections remained closed for the time being until the risks from falling branches and reduced visibility had passed.
Authorities emphasise that all figures for burned area and the extent of damage are preliminary and may change following aerial image assessment and forensic analysis. In the Comunidad Valenciana, the risk of fires jumping and secondary fires remains high while wind and terrain make it difficult to reach fire lines. In Las Hurdes, crews are focusing on cooling the edges, removing fallen trees and monitoring for possible reignition. Decisions on further easing of restrictions will be made gradually according to conditions.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).