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Simultaneous Wildfires in Catalonia Stretch Fire Services

The surge is testing firefighting capacity, prompting military assistance requests and regionwide emergency restrictions.

Overview

  • Multiple large fires broke out across Catalonia on Tuesday, forcing crews to prioritise protection of people and homes as resources were spread thin.
  • Authorities ordered confinements that affected about 7,000 people around Sentmenat and at peak required roughly 33,000 people to shelter in the Anoia area.
  • The most serious blazes have been stabilised or controlled by July 7 but the Sentmenat fire remains active and continues to absorb major firefighting effort.
  • The Generalitat activated Plan Alfa level 4 for 111 municipalities, requested help from the Unidad Militar de Emergencias and opened an inquiry into a Gavarres ignition linked to an operator using an angle grinder.
  • Medical teams treated multiple civilians and ten firefighters suffered heat-related illness, while the Gavarres fire burned more than 2,200 hectares and officials warned that climate extremes and accumulated forest fuels increase future fire risk.