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Exploding Ordnance Adds Risk to Catalonia’s Record Early-Season Wildfire

Containment of a 3,100-hectare blaze near the Parc Natural dels Ports is complicated by extreme heat, rugged terrain, detonations of unexploded Civil War munitions, shifting mistral winds.

Los bomberos trabajan en el incendio forestal en Paüls

Overview

  • More than 3,100 hectares have burned since the Paüls fire began on July 7, including over 1,100 hectares of the Parc Natural dels Ports.
  • About 18,000 residents across seven municipalities have been ordered to evacuate or stay confined to protect them and aid firefighting efforts.
  • Suppression efforts by approximately 400 firefighters, 14 aerial units and over 100 UME personnel have slowed the blaze, with containment expected later Tuesday pending weather shifts.
  • High temperatures, rugged terrain and strong mistral winds are fueling rapid fire spread and complicating access for ground and air crews.
  • Detonations of unexploded Spanish Civil War munitions near the fire front are posing new hazards that endanger emergency crews and nearby communities.