Devesa del Saler, often called Valencia’s green lung, is facing its worst environmental crisis in decades after a wildfire burned through 37 hectares of Mediterranean forest and scrub. The full extent of the damage remains unclear, and political opponents are trading accusations over who failed to prevent the disaster and how the area should be restored.
Firefighters are still working to extinguish the last hot spots after the blaze broke out on August 27. It forced evacuations from apartments and two campsites, as well as the beach and Saler village, and is now considered the second most severe wildfire in the area’s history. Residents want answers about its causes and what will happen next. Valencia’s municipal fire chief, Enrique Chisbert, said that as of September 3, small smoldering areas remained in Devesa del Saler, so the fire had not yet been officially declared extinguished.
The immediate focus is assessing the damage. The Generalitat’s Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM) is preparing a detailed report on the fire’s severity. The analysis will guide the city’s recovery plan, which may include selective logging and new tree planting, but only after officials monitor how the area recovers naturally over the coming months.
Mayor María José Catalá has asked the regional Environment Ministry for support, saying the city needs solid data before beginning restoration. She pointed to a major gap in the city’s earlier fire-prevention plan: the Sideinfo system, a network of 40 water cannons intended to protect Devesa during heatwaves, was not included until January. Catalá blames the previous administration for the delay.
On the day of the fire, Sideinfo was activated in response to an orange wildfire alert to cool the forest and slow the flames. Opposition politicians remain skeptical. Socialist councillor Borja Santamaría called the city’s response “propaganda” and said the administration had failed to put real prevention measures in place before the fire. He accused Catalá of taking credit for systems she did not create and relying on announcements after the fact instead of planning ahead. Official estimates indicate that firefighters and aerial support reduced the potentially affected area by about 80%. The municipality also reported removing 750 kg of waste from the fire site during early cleanup efforts.
Regional Environment Minister Vicente Martínez Mus has promised Generalitat support to speed up updates to Valencia’s Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan. He noted the challenges of managing a field like the Saler, shaped by heavy human use, and said environmental approvals for new firebreaks and other measures would be streamlined. “The Saler may be small, but its emotional value for Valencia is enormous,” Martínez Mus said, highlighting the political and social importance of the recovery.
Once the emergency phase ends, the CEAM report will guide the first recovery steps. Officials will assess the fire’s impact on vegetation before deciding how to handle damaged trees and whether to replant or let the area recover on its own. The city’s updated prevention plan now includes phased use of the Sideinfo system, with one stage focused on protecting the Saler’s urban core.
The political argument continues. The Socialists say the city’s recovery plan is vague and that warnings about the need for prevention were ignored for years. They argue that the administration has reacted to the fire and that no real investments or measures were in place beforehand. The local dispute reflects wider concerns about wildfire readiness across Spain, especially as heatwaves become more common. As reported earlier, record temperatures have already pushed other regions to the edge, making prevention and a fast response more urgent.
Experts say it could take up to twenty years for Devesa del Saler to regain its former appearance. City leaders are relying on technical studies and new infrastructure to regain public trust, while the ongoing dispute over responsibility points to concerns about delayed prevention and planning.
