Catalonia raises forest‑fire alert to maximum level amid extreme heat

The Catalan government has activated level 3 of the Plan Alpha – the highest ordinary fire‑prevention alert – covering 298 municipalities in 23 comarcas. About 60 % of Catalonia’s territory is now classified as high or very high fire risk, prompting suspension of activities that could ignite fires and intensified monitoring by rural agents. Early summer fires have already required significant ground and aerial resources, with incidents in Flix, Montornès del Vallès, Torrefeta, Florejacs and Talavera being contained without serious casualties.

In neighbouring Galicia, authorities have launched the largest summer fire‑prevention operation of the year, mobilising more than 11 000 personnel, including 7 000 regional staff and 4 000 military units, together with drones, AI detection tools and additional aircraft. The operation runs from 1 July to 30 September to curb the heightened fire danger caused by extreme temperatures and recent thunderstorms.

Aragon’s La Franja region has been battling a wildfire that has burned over 5 000 ha, forcing the evacuation of 240 residents from three villages and prompting the closure of a main road. The fire is believed to have started from an agricultural machine spark.

Navarre’s farmers’ union is demanding economic compensation for days when harvest work is halted due to fire‑risk restrictions, and calling for greater transparency on firefighting resources.

Spain and Portugal have also agreed to share advanced emergency‑management technology, including AI‑based flood‑risk prediction and a joint tactical‑situation platform, to improve cross‑border response to wildfires and other natural hazards.