Fire near Cresta del Gallo: Evacuation and State of Emergency in Murcia. A major wildfire has broken out in the Cresta del Gallo area. Murcia authorities have declared a state of emergency and started evacuating residents. The fire threatens homes and infrastructure.
On Tuesday afternoon, a large wildfire broke out near Cresta del Gallo in Murcia, between the neighborhoods of Los Garres and Lages. The fire quickly spread through the Carrascoy-El Valle natural park, forcing authorities to declare level two of the Infomur emergency plan and begin evacuating residents from homes in the risk zone. The flames threaten residential areas near the cemetery and along the riverbed, prompting many to leave their homes in advance.
Emergency services began receiving reports of the fire at 3:10 p.m.—within a short period, more than 200 calls were recorded. Smoke from the source is visible from various parts of the city and even distant areas. The situation is made more difficult by the fact that the fire is spreading on slopes, where access for ground crews is limited, so the main focus is on aerial support: three regional helicopters and one coordination helicopter are involved in the firefighting, along with UDIF forces, conservation officers, municipal firefighters, police, and the Civil Guard.
Murcia authorities appealed to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition for support, requesting federal aerial assets—three amphibious planes and two additional helicopters. By 4:15 p.m., the regional CECOP operations center officially declared level two of the Infomur emergency, which means additional resources have been mobilized and the threat now applies not only to the forest but to residential areas as well.
Efforts to contain the fire are complicated by the heat and strong wind: the temperature in Murcia reached 40 degrees, sharply increasing the risk of the fire spreading. In some areas of Los Garres, power has been temporarily cut off by order of security services to prevent new incidents. According to emergency services, there are no casualties among the population, but the battle to protect homes and stabilize the situation continues.
Fires in Spain often have serious consequences for local residents and emergency services. Recently, in Catalonia, a court found two firefighters guilty after a tragedy at a warehouse — more details about this case can be found in the article on the court's decision in the case of a colleague's death. Such incidents highlight the importance of strictly following safety protocols and prompt coordination between agencies.
For reference: Carrascoy-El Valle is one of the largest natural parks in Murcia, where fire incidents are reported annually during the hot season. The Infomur Plan is the regional wildfire response system, providing for a phased escalation of measures depending on the threat to the public and infrastructure. In recent years, due to climate change and rising temperatures, the number of such incidents in Spain has increased, requiring constant improvement of prevention and response measures.
