The wildfire that began in Vall d’Uixó, Castellón, on 25 July burned approximately 9,568 hectares, including about 3,688 hectares within the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, roughly 12% of the park’s area. The fire reportedly forced around 16,000 people across 18 municipalities to evacuate. It was among the largest and most destructive fires in the Valencian Community in recent years.
During the week after the blaze was declared under control, emergency crews continued patrolling for hot spots and signs of re-ignition. Smoke lingered over burned slopes, where ash, fallen pines and blackened trunks marked the fire’s path. The fire began near Vall d’Uixó and affected communities and natural areas across the region.
The blaze’s total footprint extended well beyond the park: the approximately 3,688 hectares burned inside Sierra de Espadán were part of the larger 9,568-hectare fire. The park is known for its cork-oak forests, among the best-preserved in the Valencian Community. The fire also destroyed two nesting platforms used by Bonelli’s eagles (Aquila fasciata), a species classified as endangered in the region.
Adolfo Miravet, who manages Espadán Corks, estimates that about 10% of the park’s cork oaks were affected and warns recovery will take years. The fire’s advance was halted just before it reached Alcudia de Veo, preventing further losses. Firefighters described the first days as exceptionally difficult: the blaze generated its own weather patterns and advanced rapidly. Shifting winds then pushed it inland, where it burned more slowly and unevenly.
Some areas escaped the worst, with patches of green vegetation surviving beside burned slopes. This irregular pattern may help parts of the forest regenerate, but the overall damage is severe. Residents returning to towns such as Alcudia de Veo and Vall d’Uixó found familiar landscapes transformed. During the emergency response, helicopters dropped water on lingering hot spots.
Forest engineers warn that some of the most serious consequences may emerge over time. Soil loss, changes to water flow, habitat fragmentation and a temporary decline in biodiversity are among the risks. Invasive species could also take hold before native ecosystems recover. The extent of these effects will shape the park’s ability to recover to future fires.
Crews from across Spain worked in rugged, terraced terrain, where steep climbs and heavy equipment made operations especially demanding. Residents supported the emergency teams as they tackled the fire and its aftermath.
By 17 October, recovery work had expanded beyond fire suppression. The Generalitat Valenciana announced an investment of €4.2 million for forest recovery, rural-road restoration, repairs to the CV-219 and CV-223, and safety measures in fire-affected areas. That month, the Generalitat’s Grupo de Intervención en Altura and Servicio de Vida Silvestre y Red Natura 2000 also rebuilt the two Bonelli’s eagle nests destroyed by the blaze, aiming to restore breeding infrastructure in the affected territories.
Investigators determined that the Vall d’Uixó fire was intentional. Nearly three months after it began, they were still trying to identify who was responsible. The finding placed the fire within a criminal investigation, alongside the extensive emergency and restoration response.
The fire was part of a particularly damaging wildfire season in the Valencian Community. Levante-EMV reported 140 forest fires and outbreaks between June and September, with approximately 11,750 hectares burned across four major fires in Vall d’Uixó, Tuéjar, Tírig and Segorbe. The figure covers regional fires and does not represent land burned solely within protected areas.
The disaster also prompted criticism of park management. The PSPV-PSOE said seven of Castellón’s eight natural parks lacked permanent directors, with vacancies dating back to 2023. Provincial deputy Maria Jiménez called for prevention to become a priority and argued that parks needed responsible managers able to plan work throughout the year. This was an opposition-party position; it did not establish that management vacancies caused the fire.
The Sierra de Espadán is the second-largest natural park in the Valencian Community and is valued for its biodiversity and role as a green lung for Castellón. The recent fire follows a series of major wildfires in the region, including the La Vall d’Uixó incident, for which the government allocated impressive aid to affected communities, as detailed in this previous report on emergency funding. The situation highlights natural parks’ vulnerability to severe fires, particularly during periods of high temperatures and drought.
Spain has faced a series of large-scale wildfires in recent years amid concerns over climate change, land abandonment and changing weather patterns. The Sierra de Espadán fire has renewed attention to prevention, rapid response and ecological restoration. Recovery measures now underway include infrastructure repairs and work to support wildlife returning to fire-affected areas.
