A rapidly spreading wildfire broke out around midday on Sunday, July 5, in Soneja, Castellón, prompting authorities to declare a level 2 emergency and order the evacuation of nearby Azuébar. The reported response included ten aerial units and a large ground operation as flames advanced through forested terrain, raising concern for residents and property beyond the affected woodland.
Emergency services described the fire’s progress as “negative.” Soneja Mayor Benjamín Escriche said Azuébar’s 360 residents were being relocated to Soneja for safety. Puerto de Sagunto was closed to let firefighting aircraft collect water.
The Generalitat activated Situation 2 of the Special Plan for Forest Fires (PEIF), the emergency structure used when a wildfire poses a serious threat to people or non-forest assets. The level calls for immediate protective measures and additional resources, and may involve national authorities and the establishment of the Cecopi coordination center.
The reported aerial deployment comprised ten units, including the Generalitat’s coordination helicopter and two aircraft from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. Ground resources reportedly included eight Generalitat forest-firefighting units, three airlifted; four Provincial Fire Consortium teams; an environmental agent; a fire-prevention unit; coordinators; technical staff; and a 35,000-liter water tanker.
A separate wildfire was reported in Castellfort, also in Castellón province, where three Generalitat forest-firefighting units and three aerial resources were deployed. The Soneja response comes amid other wildfire emergencies in Spain, including the blaze in Catalonia’s Les Gavarres area, which led to lockdowns in multiple towns, as detailed in this report on the La Bisbal d'Empordà wildfire.
The PEIF structure coordinates emergency resources and protective measures when forest fires threaten communities or infrastructure. In Soneja and Azuébar, the reported evacuation and deployment of aerial and ground teams formed part of the response as the fire continued to advance.
