The forest fire declared on Saturday in La Vall d'Uixó (Castellón) has already burned 7,000 hectares and affects 80,000 people, with 16,000 evacuated and 64,000 confined to their homes.
The forest fire that began last Saturday in La Vall d'Uixó, in the province of Castellón, remains out of control and has forced the evacuation of 16,000 people, while another 64,000 are confined to their homes due to smoke and to facilitate firefighting efforts. In total, around 80,000 people are directly affected by the emergency measures.
The fire has already devastated more than 7,000 hectares in a perimeter exceeding 48 kilometres. The municipalities under confinement are La Vall d'Uixó, Onda, and Betxí. The evacuations affect towns such as La Vilavella, Artana, Eslida, Ahín, Alcudia de Veo, Tales, Artesa, Alfondeguilla, Fuentes de Ayódar, Ayódar, Torralba del Pinar, Sueras, Villamalur, Chóvar, Azuébar, and Almedíjar, in addition to other areas evacuated as a precaution.
Most of the evacuees have stayed with family or in second homes, but around 500 people remain in shelters set up by the Generalitat and local councils, such as the sports centre in Onda, the pavilion in Nules, the seminary in Segorbe, and the multifunctional building in Moncofa.
During the night, surveillance drones detected several flare-ups. The Minister of Emergencies, Juan Carlos Valderrama, noted that one of the most concerning points is in Eslida, where there is a hotspot with a high risk of spread. Intense work is also being carried out in the Monserrat urbanisation in Betxí and in the Montí area to prevent the fire from advancing.
This Monday, the firefighting operation includes up to 30 aircraft and hundreds of ground personnel. Southeast winds are expected with gusts of up to 30 km/h, although the nighttime humidity could aid the brigades' efforts.
Emergency services have activated the extreme risk level for forest fires across the Valencian Community and warn that evacuations and confinements will remain in place until the evolution of the fire allows for safety to be guaranteed.
On another note, the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, indicated that the fire does not appear to have a natural origin, prompting the Civil Guard to investigate the causes. The priority remains the extinguishing of the fire and the protection of the population.
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