The Valencian Generalitat maintains the lockdown of La Vall d'Uixó, Betxí and Onda due to the forest fire, which has already burned 6,500 hectares with a perimeter of 48 kilometres.
The forest fire declared in the province of Castellón remains active and has forced the Valencian Generalitat to maintain lockdown measures in three municipalities: La Vall d'Uixó, Betxí and Onda. This was decided by the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI) in a meeting chaired by the president of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, which also included the president of the Castellón Provincial Council, Marta Barrachina, and the government delegate, Pilar Bernabé.
The resolution, which will be published in the Official Diary of the Valencian Generalitat, establishes that the lockdown will remain in effect throughout tomorrow, until 23:59 hours on July 27. However, the Emergency Plan management may extend, lift or modify the measure depending on the evolution of the fire.
In addition to the lockdown, the Generalitat has ordered the evacuation of several localities and districts: 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, as well as the neighbourhoods of Toledo, Carbonaire, Sant Antoni and Sant de Josep of La Vall d'Uixó and the urbanisations Montserrat and Solaig of Betxí.
The Minister of Emergencies and Interior, Juan Carlos Valderrama, has reported that the fire remains active with a perimeter of about 48 kilometres and has estimated that it has already burned 6,500 hectares. However, he specified that the exact figure will not be known until the fire is completely extinguished. More than 400 personnel and 25 aerial resources have been working on the ground today. Valderrama noted that the weather conditions in the coming days could help stabilise the emergency.
In total, between Saturday and Sunday, around 16,000 people have been evacuated from 18 different municipalities and urbanisations. This afternoon, Azuébar and Almedíjar were evacuated, affecting more than 600 residents, who received an Es-Alert message. About 700 evacuated individuals are currently in the Moncofa Multifunctional Building, the Municipal Sports Centre of Onda, the Municipal Pavilion of Nules and the minor seminary of Segorbe. Additionally, during the early hours of the morning, 113 people were evacuated from the Novaedat residence in La Vall d'Uixó, who have been transferred to residences in Cullera, Carlet, Borriana, Estivella and Castelló.
In the health sector, 43 people have been treated in health centres and 19 remain hospitalised: four in La Plana Hospital, five in the Integrated Health Centre of Segorbe and another ten in the La Magdalena Hospital for Chronic and Long-Stay Patients, who require oxygen due to chronic illness.
The Generalitat has issued recommendations for residential areas near the fire, such as keeping doors and windows closed, limiting physical activity or turning off air conditioning units and smoke extractors. It has also reminded citizens to obtain information exclusively from official channels and to follow the recommendations of the authorities.
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