Wildfires in western Catalonia: Stay-at-home orders lifted as Torrefeta fire stabilized

Civil Protection has lifted stay-at-home orders for residents of nine municipalities in three Catalan counties – Segarra, Noguera, and Urgell – after firefighters stabilized a major wildfire in Torrefeta i Florejacs at around 11pm on Tuesday night.

Another wildfire is burning in nearby Sanaüja.

Both fires are in Segarra, western Catalonia, but close to the border with other counties.

The authorities sent an emergency alert to mobile phones in Vilanova de l'Aguda, Artesa de Segre, Ponts, Cabanabona, and Oliola (all in Noguera); Guissona, Sanaüja, and Torrefeta i Florejacs (in Segarra); and Agramunt (Urgell).

The Torrefeta fire, which broke out around 5pm, has burned an estimated 5,000 hectares, largely agricultural land.

During part of the evening, the fire was deemed beyond firefighting capacity, but the situation began to improve and an update at around 10pm from the fire department said they hoped to stabilize it overnight.

Meanwhile, the Sanaüja fire has affected about 40 hectares and remains active.

The Torrefeta blaze produced a thick smoke column, which formed a 14-kilometer-high pyrocumulus cloud  – a phenomenon of dimensions "never before seen in Catalonia."

Interior Minister Núria Parlon visited the affected area on Tuesday evening and praised the efforts of firefighters and emergency services.

Very strong winds

Both fires worsened due to thunderstorms affecting Pallars Jussà and – with less intensity – Alt Urgell, Noguera, and Segarra.

Although some rain fell over parts of the fires, winds exceeding 125 kilometers per hour are causing "erratic" fire behavior. 

Due to these adverse conditions, the extinguishing strategy must be "continuously redesigned" to safeguard the safety of personnel, the fire service said.

No people have been reported affected, but there is damage to buildings that is yet to be fully assessed.

Shortly after the fire began, Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, evacuated a person with reduced mobility from the village of Vilalta.

As of 7pm, the firefighting operation in Torrefeta included 33 ground vehicles, 10 aerial units, and 102 personnel from several specialized groups.

In Sanaüja, 15 firefighting units were deployed, including 2 aircraft and a command helicopter, totaling 48 personnel.

Three active confinement zones remained in place until around 11pm: one in Cabanabona, Vilalta, and nearby isolated homes in Noguera, affecting 450 people over 1,315 hectares; a second in Oliola, Plandogau, Vilamajor, Maravella, and surrounding areas, affecting 235 people over 7,677 hectares, and the third in Agramunt and Guissona, the largest area, affecting 13,166 people across 16,520 hectares.

The L-313 highway was closed in both directions between Ponts and Guissona (km 4 to 20), according to the Catalan Traffic Service.

Catalonia and wildfires

Catalonia is one of the European regions most vulnerable to wildfires. Its hot, dry summers, combined with strong winds, vast forested areas, and rugged terrain, create the perfect conditions for forest fires. 

Over the past decade, Catalonia has experienced an average of 500 wildfires per year, with around 1,800 hectares burned annually. 

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