Wildfire in southern Catalonia escalates: 1,600 hectares burned, 50 residents evacuated, military called in

A wildfire that broke out on Monday morning near Paüls, in the Baix Ebre region of southern Catalonia, has already affected 1,600 hectares.

Overnight, strong winds worsened conditions, opening two new flanks and prompting the evacuation of 50 residents.

One of the flanks advanced toward a residential area in the town of Alfara de Carles, which has since been evacuated.

The other flank moved toward the C-12 highway, forcing its partial closure.

There are currently nearly 90 ground units, with a total of 280 firefighters actively working on the terrain.

The Catalan government has requested assistance from the Emergency Military Unit (UME), the Spanish military’s rapid response force.

Firefighters have stated that they prioritize rescuing people and protecting materials before focusing on containing the fire.

Firefighters' head David Borrell explained that during the night, there was a "change in the fire’s behavior."

"The wind has been blowing strongly, and there are two new fire fronts, each about 200 meters long," he explained. 

The flames crossed the Ebre river, affecting a new town now under confinement, while firefighters evacuated residents from various towns and isolated houses.

Images circulating on social media show the fire reaching the town of Xerta, where a petrol station was destroyed by the blaze.

The head of the firefighters acknowledged that the fire’s reignition has placed the operation in a "difficult situation" and that the teams are now "recomposing their strategy" to contain as much of the perimeter as possible.

Earlier in the day, residents of Paüls, Xerta, Alfara de Carles, and Aldover were ordered to remain indoors due to the wildfire.

Although the confinement was eased at 7 pm, allowing residents to leave their homes but not their towns, the order was reinstated at 11pm with the worsening conditions. 

More than 200 firefighters, including sixteen aerial units and over sixty ground teams, worked throughout the day to contain the blaze.

Ground units are expected to continue operations through the night, as aircraft cannot fly after dark.

Of the 900 hectares affected so far, most lie within the Els Ports natural park. Officials warn the fire has the potential to spread across 3,000 hectares if not controlled.

Fire worsens after brief improvement

Earlier in the day, authorities had already warned that extinguishing the fire would be challenging.

"The wildfire is not yet stabilized, and many hours of work remain to contain it," said Catalan interior minister Núria Parlon during a 7 pm press conference.

After burning with high intensity throughout the day, the fire’s behavior became less aggressive in the afternoon and early evening, allowing for more flexible confinement measures.

Parlon explained that the main priority was to contain the left flank, which is of greatest concern due to its potential to spread.

Borrell explained that firefighters managed to stabilize the first third of both the right and left flanks during the day, but that the front flank of the fire remained active. 

"The fire moved downhill, and its behavior shifted. It is now less aggressive than it was around 4 or 5 pm," he explained during the press conference, hours before conditions worsened again. 

Stabilization expected by Tuesday midday

Despite the progress made during the day, firefighters already anticipated a challenging night. "Strong winds overnight will complicate extinction efforts," Borrell warned.

However, a wind change expected by midday Tuesday should give firefighters better conditions to stabilize the fire.

Borrell also confirmed reports from neighbors who said they heard explosions during the fire.

“The Ebre front [from the Civil War] is here, and it is common for wildfires in this area to cause detonations within the perimeter. It is not unusual,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Antoni Mur, head of the forest rangers responsible for determining the cause of the wildfire, said it was "too early to make any hypotheses."

Terrain poses major obstacle

The fire, which broke out around 12pm on Monday, was significantly accelerated by strong winds and the region’s rugged terrain.

Due to growing concerns that the fire could spiral out of control, reinforcements were requested from aerial units in Zaragoza and Mallorca. 

Additionally, two high-capacity aircraft from Spain's interior ministry were deployed to support the firefighting efforts.

The work of aerial units is crucial because the fire is in a forested area with ravines and valleys. Since there are no roads or trails, firefighters can only access the site on foot and trucks cannot reach it.

"The fire is advancing faster than we are," said Joan Rovira, head of intervention for the Catalan firefighters. He described the wildfire’s behavior as "extreme."

The challenge is that both fire flanks are difficult to cover and continue to spread, with areas unlikely to be extinguished "until tomorrow."

“The region’s rugged terrain is making our work very difficult, with some parts of the fire inaccessible,” he explained.

Although the fire approached within 5 kilometers of nearby villages, the communities remained out of danger at all times.

Rovira also noted that the fire was so intense it generated a pyrocumulus cloud several kilometers high.

In fact, the fire was visible from many parts of southern Catalonia, with the 112 emergency services hotline receiving at least 185 calls related to the incident.

Despite a drop in temperatures and heavy rainfall across Catalonia over the weekend, the southern region remains on high alert for wildfires, as local temperatures are still high.

The latest blaze follows a major wildfire in Lleida during last month’s heatwave, which scorched nearly 6,000 hectares.

Listen to the podcast below to learn more about Catalonia's wildfire strategy.