The Balearic Government has sent a helicopter with an air transport brigade to assist in the fire affecting the province of Castellón, where 6,500 hectares have already burned.
A helicopter from the Government of the Balearic Islands with an air transport brigade departed this afternoon for Vall d'Uixó to join the firefighting operation battling the forest fire ravaging the Castellón region. The assistance was requested through the state coordination mechanism and is part of the collaboration protocol between autonomous communities in emergencies.
The helicopter, based in Mallorca, took off from Son Sant Joan airport heading to the disaster area, where it is expected to arrive in the coming hours. The brigade consists of firefighters specialized in forest fire extinguishing, who will integrate into the operation already working on the ground.
The Minister of Emergencies and Interior of the Valencian Generalitat, Juan Carlos Valderrama, has reported that the fire remains active, with a perimeter of about 48 kilometres and an estimated 6,500 hectares burned, although the exact figure will not be known until the fire is completely extinguished.
Today, more than 400 personnel and 25 aerial resources have been working on the ground, and it is hoped that the weather conditions in the coming days will help stabilize the situation. Valderrama has thanked the work of the security forces and highlighted that they act “with the clear vocation of public service that they demonstrate in every emergency.”
The Generalitat maintains the confinement and evacuation measures agreed upon in the CECOPI meeting, which was attended by the President of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca. The order, which will be published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana, establishes that the confinement of the municipalities of Vall d'Uixó, Betxí, and Onda will continue tomorrow.
The evacuation of Vila Vella, Artana, Eslida, Aín, Alcudia de Veo, Tales, the district of Artesa de Onda, Alfondeguilla, Fuentes de Ayódar, Ayódar, Torralba, Sueras, Villamalur, Chóvar, Azuébar, Almedíjar, and the neighbourhoods of Toledo, Carbonaire, Sant Antoni, and Sant de Josep of Vall d'Uixó, as well as the urbanizations Montserrat and Solaig of Betxí, will also remain in effect.
The measure will be in force until 23:59 hours on July 27, with the possibility that the Emergency Plan management may extend, lift, or modify it depending on the evolution of the emergency. The Generalitat justifies the decision for the safety of individuals and the operational needs of the emergency.
As a precaution, this afternoon the municipalities of Azuébar and Almedíjar have been evacuated, affecting more than 600 residents, who received an Es-Alert message notifying the population. In total, around 16,000 people from 18 different municipalities and urbanizations have been evacuated between Saturday and Sunday.
Approximately 700 evacuated residents are currently at the Moncofa Multifunctional Building, the Onda Municipal Sports Centre, the Nules Municipal Pavilion, and the minor seminary of Segorbe. During the early hours of the morning, 113 people were evacuated from the Novaedat residence in Vall d'Uixó and relocated to residences in Cullera, Carlet, Borriana, Estivella, and Castelló, using a bus from the Generalitat and the residence's own means.
The Generalitat has also reported that 43 people have been treated at healthcare centres, of which 19 remain hospitalized: four at La Plana Hospital and five at the Integrated Health Centre of Segorbe. The other ten are individuals with chronic illnesses requiring oxygen and remain hospitalized at the La Magdalena Hospital for Chronic and Long-Stay Patients.
In collaboration with the General Directorate of Public Health, the Emergency Coordination Centre has issued recommendations for residential areas near the fire, such as keeping doors and windows closed, limiting physical activity, and turning off air conditioning units and smoke extractors.
The Generalitat reminds citizens to obtain information exclusively from official channels regarding the fire situation and to follow the recommendations.
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