The wildfire that erupted in the Peñas de Riglos area of Huesca escalated sharply, forcing the evacuation of 16 municipalities and displacing 830 people. Overnight, four more villages were evacuated as the fire advanced. Emergency services battled to contain the flames amid shifting winds and unpredictable conditions.
On Thursday, the situation turned critical when the fire surrounded both the old and new San Juan de la Peña monasteries. The historic sites, considered the birthplace of the Kingdom of Aragón, faced a direct threat as emergency teams rushed to protect the complex. The Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) was deployed to secure the area and carry out two urgent transfers: the ceremonial attire of the Conde de Aranda was rescued, followed by the remains of eight medieval monarchs whose tombs are housed in the monastery.
Authorities described the hours as extremely tense, with both the 11th-century monastery carved into the mountain and the later 17th-century baroque building at risk. Firefighters carried out a controlled burn to shield the site. Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, regional councillor for Finance, Interior and Public Administration, confirmed that both monasteries were in danger for several hours and that the situation called for immediate, coordinated action.
During the emergency, the burned area was estimated at about 8,000 hectares. Towns affected included Santa María de la Peña, Triste, La Peña Estación, Yeste, Botaya, Alastuey, Larués, Bailo, Villalangua, Salinas de Jaca, Ena, Centenero, Arbués, Santa Cruz de la Serós, Binacua and Osia, as well as a local campsite. The blaze spread rapidly, particularly after a sudden change in wind direction, catching many by surprise and complicating firefighting efforts. On Friday, 30 aerial units from the Government of Aragón, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and UME, along with teams from Navarra, La Rioja, Catalonia, Comunidad Valenciana and Castilla y León, were expected to continue operations with extensive ground support.
A technical assessment published in October put the final burned area at 16,285.23 hectares, more than twice the estimate reported during the emergency. Las Peñas de Riglos accounted for 7,012.26 hectares, or 43.06% of the total, and Bailo for 4,996.67 hectares, or 30.68%. Together, they represented 73.74% of the mapped area. Jaca accounted for a further 2,339.83 hectares. The fire began on 10 August near Santa María de la Peña, alongside works on the A-132, and spread through extensive pine woodland. Authorities ultimately evacuated 1,046 people from 19 population centres, as well as two campsites and one camp. The emergency lasted 34 days, ending when the fire was declared extinguished on 12 September.
Police arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of starting the fire. Investigators found construction materials at the ignition point, believed to be linked to recent roadworks on the A-132 and possibly to have contributed to the outbreak. The Guardia Civil’s environmental unit, Seprona, is leading the inquiry.
As the emergency unfolded, the removal of royal remains and heritage items from San Juan de la Peña echoed similar actions reported in recent days. For more on the evacuation of historic relics and the firefighting response, see the coverage of the protection of San Juan de la Peña’s royal heritage during the wildfire.
San Juan de la Peña is one of Aragón’s most impressive monuments, with origins dating back to the 11th century. The site has survived multiple fires throughout history, prompting construction of the newer monastery in the 17th century. A fire at the old monastery preceded construction of the newer complex, which began in 1693. In 1809, during the Peninsular War, French troops burned the newer building, including its gilded and polychrome baldachin. The modern wildfire damaged the forest surrounding both monasteries but did not destroy the buildings.
The threat to the site continued after the flames were out: burned vegetation and unstable terrain posed risks from falling rocks, debris and landslides. The Government of Aragón maintained access restrictions around the monasteries during recovery and surveillance work, allowing exceptions for impressive agricultural and livestock activities and for personnel restoring or maintaining public services. On 23 October, the A-1603 access road reopened at 14:00 after the regional road authority judged the area sufficiently stable for traffic. The closure had initially been expected to last until 30 November.
Recovery work was also underway across the burned mountains. At a meeting in Jaca on 22 October, regional officials and affected municipalities discussed how to assess the damage and protect the soil, alongside plans for future forest management. The INFOAR operation was carrying out conservation work, including felling fire-damaged trees and using branches and other plant debris to build brushwood barriers that would help stabilize soil and reduce erosion. Fran Gómez, director of Huesca’s provincial environmental and tourism service, and Francho Aso, head of the forest-fire section and one of the fire’s extinction directors, took part in the discussions.
The fire’s effects reached beyond the forest and road network: two months later, six municipalities remained without potable water. The burned area included 7,556.18 hectares of publicly managed forestland. The A-1603 reopening marked a road-safety key stage, but monitoring and ecological restoration continued.
