Wildfire in southern Catalonia expected to be under control today

The wildfire that has been burning in southern Catalonia since Monday and has scorched 3,300 hectares is expected to be brought under control by Thursday afternoon.

That is the objective set by firefighters, head of operations Juanma Gonzalves confirmed on Thursday morning.

The blaze was declared stabilized on Wednesday midday and has remained stable throughout the night.

Although firefighters anticipate gaining full control today, Gonzalves warned that extinguishing the fire completely “will still take several more days.”

According to Gonzalves, the night was "very quiet," and favorable weather conditions helped crews make significant progress.

Rainfall in recent hours, between five and ten liters per square meter, has been particularly beneficial to the firefighting efforts.

The rain has especially helped in inaccessible, rugged areas where the perimeter was still "a bit unstable."

In these zones, firefighters had to rely on manual tools, as vehicles could not reach them.

Crews are now focused on consolidating the perimeter, using drones and thermal cameras to detect smoke and remaining hotspots.

Authorities have ruled out the risk of flare-ups for now.

Currently, the operation involves 47 ground vehicles and three aerial units.

The latest official figure reports 3,300 hectares burned, mostly forest land, with around one-third of the area located within the Ports Natural Park.

To learn more about Catalonia’s wildfire strategy, the history of its firefighters, and how they prepare to tackle fires, listen to the podcast below.