Saturday, July 4Saturday, July 41 hour · 2 summary articles
Wildfire scorches Les Gavarres massif in Catalonia as thousands remain confined
Wildfire scorches Catalonias Costa Brava, forces evacuations and destroys homes
A wildfire tearing through Catalonia’s Costa Brava has scorched at least 22,000 hectares of forest, forced the evacuation of 150 tourists from a campsite, and destroyed homes in the coastal municipality of Calonge, as Catalan authorities confirmed on Saturday that the blaze had been brought under 70% control overnight. The fire, which broke out near La Bisbal d’Empordà on Friday morning, has prompted the closure of seven municipalities and left 45,000 residents advised to stay indoors due to dense smoke, according to the Catalan fire service and regional authorities.
Catalan police arrested a worker suspected of accidentally starting the blaze with a cutting tool, a spokesperson for the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed to Reuters . The fire service reported that the blaze had consumed approximately 22,000 *stremmata*—a Greek unit of land measurement equivalent to roughly 1,000 square meters—primarily forested areas near Girona, 20 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. By dawn on Saturday, firefighters had stabilized 70% of the right flank of the fire, Catalan fire authorities said in a statement, though they warned that shifting winds forecast for midday could complicate containment efforts.
Residents in Calonge’s urbanizations of Mas Ambròs and Cabanyes described a harrowing night as flames advanced to within meters of homes, defying official confinement orders. Jordi Roig, a resident whose house was later destroyed, told Catalunya Ràdio he fled at 3:00 a.m. with his partner and two dogs, describing the scene as “dantesque” and “terrifying.” Another neighbor, Lídia Sánchez, recounted drenching her garden in a desperate attempt to protect her home, saying, “You see the flames so close and so big, and a spark can jump so quickly.” The fire service confirmed that one house and a farmhouse had been burned, while garden areas and fences of numerous properties were damaged.
The blaze has also disrupted daily life across the region. The Catalan government activated the highest level of its fire-risk plan, restricting access to natural areas in 20 municipalities across the Baix Empordà and Gironès comarques. The 59th Havaneres singing festival in Calella de Palafrugell was canceled after the first two events proceeded despite the fire, drawing criticism. Meanwhile, the Generalitat is investigating the subcontractor company employing the detained worker, as authorities reiterate warnings about machinery sparks during extreme fire-risk conditions.
The crisis extends beyond Spain’s borders. Portugal, battling its own wildfires in Viseu and Setúbal districts, has requested international assistance, prompting Italy to deploy two Canadair amphibious aircraft to support operations in Vouzela, where over 10,000 hectares have burned. In France, 150 firefighters remain mobilized in the Drôme department to contain a separate blaze that has scorched 115 hectares, while six departments are under red alert for extreme fire danger.
Meteorologists warn that the extreme heatwave fueling these fires shows no signs of abating. Spain’s weather service reported temperatures nearing 42°C in Andalucía, Extremadura, and the Tagus valley, with nine regions on high alert. In France, health authorities recorded 2,025 excess deaths during the week of June 22–28, a 30% increase linked to the heatwave, underscoring the broader public health threat posed by the ongoing climate crisis.
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