A wildfire broke out on Thursday evening after a lightning strike between Segorbe (Castellón) and Gátova (Valencia), affecting parts of the Parque Natural de la Sierra Calderona . According to the regional authorities on Friday morning, around 120 hectares have provisionally been affected. Level 1 of the PEIF (Plan Especial frente al Riesgo de Incendios Forestales) remains in force.
Overnight, eleven firefighting units from the Generalitat Valenciana and crews from the Consorcio Provincial de Valencia and the Consorcio Provincial de Castellón worked on the fire’s flanks. According to the authorities, the additional resources deployed included two units from the Consorcio Provincial de Valencia and two from Castellón, two forestry brigades, one incident command unit, one forestry coordinator each for Valencia and Castellón, a mobile command post and a forestry technician. At daybreak, firefighting helicopters and aircraft were deployed to support the ground crews. The operation is being coordinated from the Puesto de Mando Avanzado in Gátova. The regional minister responsible, Juan Carlos Valderrama, monitored the situation on site and gave an update in Les Corts as part of a briefing on this summer’s fires that had already been scheduled.
According to the authorities, no large-scale evacuations have been necessary so far. Some isolated farmsteads and agricultural outbuildings close to the fire have been evacuated as a precaution or placed under observation. The lower temperatures and higher humidity overnight helped the emergency crews, while strong storm cells the previous day had increased the likelihood of lightning strikes starting fires.
Activating Level 1 of the PEIF means that the flames pose a threat to woodland and may also pose a limited threat to property or settlements, and that additional firefighting resources beyond those normally responsible are required. Operational command rests with the Generalitat Valenciana, which coordinates the resources deployed across the provinces and divides the area into tactical sectors through the Puesto de Mando Avanzado.
A reliable estimate of the area affected is not yet available. The approximately 120 hectares reported so far are an estimate and may change as the perimeter is mapped. The Sierra Calderona is considered a sensitive protected area and was already affected by a major fire in 2017, which destroyed around 1,300 hectares; restoration work was carried out in the following years. Only once the current fire has been contained and brought under control can forestry and environmental experts systematically map the burned areas and assess the effects on vegetation and fauna. Weather over the coming hours will remain decisive for the fire’s further spread; the authorities are keeping the public informed about possible protective measures.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).