Costa Brava wildfire confines 12,000, halts regional travel
A rapidly spreading wildfire on the Costa Brava has forced 12,000 residents indoors, closed major transport routes and prompted authorities to urge visitors from Barcelona to stay away.
A wildfire raging out of control in Girona has burned through 1,280 hectares of forest on the Costa Brava, forcing 12,000 people across several municipalities to remain indoors. The blaze, which broke out in La Bisbal d’Empordà, has produced a massive column of smoke and triggered mobile alerts to approximately 40,000 residents in the surrounding area.
The emergency is causing significant disruption to regional mobility and public life. Catalonia's regional government has advised residents in the Barcelona area to avoid travelling to the affected districts of Baix Empordà, Gironès and Pla de l'Estany to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. Several major routes have been shut, including the C-66 at Palafrugell and roads connecting Calonge, Banyoles and Llagostera.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire while using an angle grinder by the roadside, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the region during dry conditions. The Government of Catalonia has requested support from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) to bolster the response. More than fifty ground units and eleven aircraft are currently deployed against the flames.
Firefighters are racing to contain the blaze before a forecast shift to an onshore sea breeze pushes the fire toward built-up coastal areas. David Borrell, head of the Catalan fire service, warned that the blaze meets the criteria of a "sixth-generation fire". He cited its rapid spread, enormous destructive power and unpredictable behaviour, noting that crews are closely monitoring a dangerous pyrocumulus cloud forming over the area.
A second, separate fire is advancing through farmland near the village of Vilavenut, forcing locals there and in Palol de la Farga to stay indoors. That blaze is being fought with 17 ground units, three aircraft and local tractors ploughing the land to create firebreaks. President of the regional government Salvador Illa has urged the public to follow authorities' instructions to the letter, noting that 150 children confined at a local holiday camp are safe.
