The fire, which started in Vall d'Uixó, has spread to the Serra d'Espadà and reached the Santa Bárbara hermitage in Onda. Extinction efforts are focused on preventing the flames from entering the natural park.
The declared forest fire in Vall d'Uixó remains active and has advanced during the early hours and morning of this Tuesday towards the natural park of the Serra d'Espadà, one of the green lungs of the province of Castellón. The flames have reached the Santa Bárbara hermitage in Onda, an emblematic site of the sierra, while extinction teams concentrate their efforts between the towns of Tales and Alcudia de Veo to halt the fire's advance.
The Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, has warned that “the fire remains active” and clarified that “the fact that some people can return to their homes does not mean that things are improving.” At noon, a new outbreak was recorded in the Artana area, further complicating the extinction efforts.
The Minister of Emergencies and Interior, Juan Carlos Valderrama, explained that during the night drones from the forest firefighters and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) have flown over the area to obtain precise perimeter measurements to facilitate the efforts. “That’s where we will deploy all the ground resources,” Valderrama stated from the advanced command post, where he reported that there are 34 aerial resources expected to operate in the area throughout the day.
The Town Hall of Tales has informed residents that, after a meeting held in the most affected area, they managed to prevent the fire from advancing during the night. “It is expected that aerial resources will be able to fly for a few hours, and heavy machinery is also being used in Tales as a preventive measure in case the fire advances,” the municipal statement reads. Additionally, they have coordinated with the Conselleria for the supply of bottled water as a precaution against possible water contamination from the ashes.
Minister Valderrama highlighted that, after ensuring the safety of citizens and homes, one of the top priorities is to “defend the natural area of the Espadán sierra as much as possible, a lung of the province and a heritage that all Castellón residents wish to protect in the best possible way.” He assured that “essential services are fully involved.”
Last night, a “window of opportunity” was expected due to the increase in relative humidity, but Valderrama noted that this circumstance was not as favourable as anticipated and that temperatures were higher than expected, with no significant gusts of wind. Despite this, the evolution during the night has been positive thanks to the work of ground resources.
Regarding the population, the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI) decided yesterday at 19:00 that residents of the affected neighbourhoods in Vall d'Uixó could return to their homes, and at 08:00 this morning, the confinement was lifted. The return was carried out within an operation coordinated by the Civil Guard, local police, Red Cross, and the Valencian Generalitat Police, following the recommendations of the emergency management.
Valderrama insisted that “it is important for the population to return to normality” and mentioned that there is “a large ground device in all urban municipalities to protect homes.” Last night, a thorough patrol was carried out in anticipation of possible outbreaks to act swiftly.
For its part, the Town Hall of Onda has informed that the preventive confinement of the population remains in place until Tuesday, July 28, at 23:59, as agreed in CECOPI. The Generalitat Valenciana will publish a new executive order tonight extending the confinement, except for essential services. The Town Hall emphasizes the importance of respecting the confinement and following the instructions of security personnel, as well as the recommended use of FFP2 masks due to the presence of smoke, especially for individuals with respiratory conditions or chronic illnesses. Public buildings will remain closed during tomorrow, except for essential and basic services.
The Municipal Pavilion of Onda continues to operate to accommodate and provide comprehensive assistance to evacuees from neighbouring municipalities. The mayor of Onda, Carmina Ballester, has thanked “all citizens and the business community of the municipality for the responsibility, collaboration, and exemplary behaviour they are demonstrating during this emergency.” The fire maintains a high intensity in the municipalities of Tales, Alcudia de Veo, and Aín, and authorities do not rule out new outbreaks in the coming hours.
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