Six days after it began near La Vall d’Uixó, the wildfire in the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park is still burning. Authorities are maintaining evacuations across 14 municipalities and several residential areas in Castellón. Emergency teams are working to contain new outbreaks in rugged mountain terrain, where rising temperatures are expected to make operations harder. Crews have established the fire’s perimeter, but it is not yet secure, regional emergencies councillor Juan Carlos Valderrama said after a late-night meeting of the Cecopi coordination committee.
Unpredictable fire behavior and the park’s difficult geography are hampering efforts to control the blaze. Antonio Rodrigo, technical director at the Advanced Command Post, said the situation had improved compared with previous days, but warned that it was too soon for full optimism. During the active phase, the latest estimates put the total affected area at 9,300 hectares, with the fire’s perimeter stretching 82 kilometers since Saturday. A later post-fire assessment put the total at 9,568 hectares, including about 3,688 hectares within the natural park, roughly 12% of its area. The fire began on July 25 and spread across municipalities around the Serra d’Espadà.
This week, firefighting efforts have focused on several fronts, including the direct threat to Alcudia de Veo, a town central to the park known for its valuable cork oak forests. Eslida, Aín, Alfondeguilla and Almedíjar, towns with some of the region’s densest cork oak stands, have all been evacuated. The cork oak’s thick, insulating bark and ability to regrow give it some ability to recover against fire. The area’s more vulnerable pine species have less protection.
At the latest coordination meeting, officials agreed to extend evacuation and confinement orders for the affected municipalities and residential areas. They include Artana, Eslida, Aín, Alcudia de Veo (including the Veo district), Tales, Alfondeguilla, Fuentes de Ayódar, Ayódar, Torralba del Pinar, Sueras, Villamalur, Chóvar, Azuébar and Almedíjar, as well as the Solaig, Montserrat and Peña Negra developments in Betxí and the Artesa district of Onda. The restrictions will remain in place until at least 23:59 on July 30. Resident safety and operational needs remain the priorities.
Authorities have also recommended bottled water in affected areas, especially La Vilavella, and masks in confined areas because of air quality concerns. Security forces and local mayors are organizing convoys so evacuated residents can briefly return home to care for pets and give them food and water.
Displaced residents have been moved to facilities arranged by the Generalitat, including the student residence at Universitat Jaume I de Castellón, the Penyeta Roja center and the La Vilavella spa, which is now hosting 149 people. Other evacuees remain at the Segorbe Seminary (128 people) and in Moncofa (45 people). In Nules, a center provides meals throughout the day for evacuees staying with relatives.
The fire reflects the challenges faced in other parts of Spain, where wildfires have forced mass evacuations and tested emergency response systems. Recent fires in Ávila and Madrid displaced thousands as authorities struggled to contain advancing flames, as detailed in this report on evacuations and shelter arrangements during major wildfires.
The aftermath involved forest recovery, road access and public safety, alongside wildlife conservation. The Generalitat allocated €4.2 million to recovery works, covering forest restoration and access routes, repairs to the CV-219 and CV-223, plus safety measures in affected areas. Two nesting platforms used by the Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata), classified as endangered in the Valencian Community, were also destroyed. Environmental agents from the Generalitat’s high-altitude intervention group worked with its Wildlife and Natura 2000 Service to rebuild the nests on hard-to-reach cliffs. They used specialized rope-access techniques to help restore breeding territories.
The blaze also drew political criticism over staffing at Castellón’s protected natural areas. The PSPV-PSOE said seven of the province’s eight natural parks lacked directors, with vacancies dating back to 2023. Socialist deputy Maria Jiménez argued that the gap affected the management of nearly 50,000 hectares of natural heritage. She called for greater prevention capacity, more staff and funding, and better coordination with municipalities. The party announced a motion to the Provincial Council of Castellón seeking to fill the posts and strengthen protection. It said the regional government had “learned nothing from this summer’s fires” and called the vacancies “an anomaly.”
The blaze was part of a severe wildfire season across the Valencian Community. Regional reporting counted 140 forest fires and fire outbreaks between June and September 2026. Four major, high-intensity fires in Vall d’Uixó, Tuéjar, Tírig and Segorbe burned an estimated 11,750 hectares combined. The wider season caused environmental and agricultural losses and led to public aid for affected farmers and ranchers.
Spain’s Mediterranean climate, with its hot, dry summers, leaves regions such as Castellón particularly vulnerable to wildfires. The Sierra de Espadán is one of the largest protected natural areas in the Valencian Community, with diverse flora and fauna that include extensive cork oak forests. Fires in such areas threaten local communities and infrastructure, with long-term risks to biodiversity and water resources. Castellón’s fire reflects Spain’s persistent wildfire risk and the need for coordinated emergency planning as climate patterns continue to shift.
