Catalonia forest fires trigger village lockdown and regional alerts

Civil Protection ordered the confinement of the Canapost village in Forallac, Baix Empordà, after a vegetation fire broke out near the settlement. Seventeen residents were instructed via the ES‑Alert system to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and avoid moving outside. Twenty fire crews, including six aerial units with helicopters and surveillance aircraft, were deployed to contain the blaze that started in a field of roosters and was driven by southern winds.

In the western Catalan region of Ponent, a strike‑related pause in firefighting operations was followed by the control or extinguishment of ten recent fires across several municipalities, including Albi, Alfarràs, Talavera, Sanaüja, Cervià de les Garrigues, Ponts, Agramunt, Torrefeta, Flarejacs, Arbeca, and Cervera. Authorities warned that the Pre‑Pyrénées area faces heightened risk due to an advancing harvest and a heat wave. Emergency Region chief Joan Josep Bellostas highlighted the danger of extreme fire behavior, while Anna Servent noted that 66 % of regional fires have a human origin and advised consulting the “Plan Alfa” before mountain activities.