The Consell of the Generalitat Valenciana decided on 11 September 2026 to ask the Spanish central government to designate six municipalities as “zonas afectadas gravemente por una emergencia de protección civil”. This would activate state aid following severe wildfires this summer. The decision was announced after the plenary meeting.
The municipalities named are Sierra Engarcerán, Tírig, Catí, Segorbe, Gátova and El Saler (València). The request cites dry thunderstorms on 7 August that sparked several fires in Castellón province. Sierra Engarcerán and Tírig were particularly badly affected, requiring extensive firefighting resources; protective measures were put in place and local evacuations took place. Another fire broke out near Segorbe on 20 August, intensified the following day and required the deployment of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME). At the end of August, the Devesa del Saler also burned within the city limits of València; precautionary evacuations took place there too. According to the Consell, Gátova and Catí were also affected by vegetation fires and their aftermath.
The formal designation as a seriously affected area is the responsibility of the Consejo de Ministros. Approval would create the legal basis for state support measures, including simplified administrative procedures, assistance to restore municipal infrastructure and direct support for affected households and businesses. The Consell stresses that, alongside emergency aid, funding is also needed for prevention, woodland management and reforestation to strengthen the resilience of the affected areas.
Opposition parties in the Valencian parliament criticised the coordination of the response and called for transparent criteria for distributing aid. Decisions on specific timelines and budgets will be made at national level once official damage assessments are available. In the meantime, the municipalities are carrying out clean-up and safety work, as well as initial planning to restore damaged roads, utility lines and protective infrastructure.
The request follows the procedure commonly used in Spain after natural disasters such as wildfires. The “zonas afectadas gravemente” mechanism has been used several times in recent years to quickly open up support following exceptional damage. For the six affected places in the Comunitat Valenciana, a positive decision by the Consejo de Ministros would be the formal step needed to activate targeted aid packages and support reconstruction work.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).