Loporzano forest fire spreads to Guara Natural Park, prompting UME deployment

A forest fire ignited on Saturday afternoon near Loporzano in Huesca province quickly expanded, burning roughly 200 hectares, including about 40 hectares inside the Sierra and Canyons of Guara Natural Park. A wind shift around 02:00 GMT on Sunday intensified the blaze, prompting the Aragón regional government to raise the emergency to level 2 of the Special Civil Protection Plan and to call in the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME). The response mobilised over 230 firefighters, 16 aerial assets and ground crews from the INFOAR operation, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, the local fire service and the UME. Seventeen residents from the villages of San Julián de Banzo (5) and Chibluco (12) were evacuated as a precaution; no injuries were reported. Road HU‑V‑3302 remains closed between Barluenga and San Julián de Banzo while the fire is contained on its left flank. Weather forecasts predict continued high temperatures up to 38 °C and variable winds, sustaining the risk of further spread.

Authorities emphasized that the fire’s origin involved permitted activities, and they urged the public to call emergency services promptly. The emergency coordination centre (CECOP) will reconvene later today to adjust the response as conditions evolve.