A wildfire that broke out on Sunday in Soneja, a municipality in the interior of Castellón, crossed the boundaries of the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park. It prompted the precautionary evacuation of 500 residents from nearby Azuébar, one of the eleven municipalities entirely within the park’s limits. Known for its cork oak reserves and natural springs, the area faced heightened risk as authorities warned that soaring temperatures and dry winds could further complicate firefighting.
By Sunday night, regional president Juanfran Pérez Llorca said the fire had entered only a small part of the park, with an estimated 150 hectares affected, though precise measurements were not yet available. A later Europa Press report, published on 17 October 2026, put the area burned by the July wildfire at approximately 9,600 hectares in the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park. It identified the blaze as the Vall d’Uixó wildfire. Monday’s forecast called for a new heatwave, with temperatures in parts of the Valencian Community expected to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius. Extreme heat and low humidity, along with the threat of renewed winds, challenged emergency teams working to contain the blaze.
Firefighting efforts involved more than 220 ground personnel and up to 18 aerial units throughout the afternoon. The Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) deployed 50 members to support the operation. As night fell, reduced winds and higher humidity brought some relief, allowing teams to focus on keeping the fire within its current perimeter. Officials overseeing the response said coordination across state, provincial and regional resources was effective.
Evacuated residents from Azuébar found temporary shelter with relatives or friends, while around 55 people stayed at the Segorbe seminary. Authorities planned to reassess the situation on Monday and decide when evacuees could safely return home, depending on how the fire progressed overnight. A similar evacuation took place in 2021, when Soneja hosted Azuébar’s residents because of another wildfire, underscoring the region’s recurring vulnerability to such incidents.
The Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, on the edge of the Iberian System, is a impressive ecological reserve in Castellón’s Alto Palancia region. Its distinctive field and biodiversity make it particularly sensitive to fire damage. The consequences reached beyond vegetation: an October report said the fire destroyed two nesting platforms used by Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata), classified as endangered in the Valencian Community. Generalitat environmental agents later rebuilt the nests on steep, hard-to-reach cliffs using specialized vertical-work techniques, in coordination with the Servicio de Vida Silvestre and Red Natura 2000. The work formed part of wider ecological-recovery measures to restore breeding habitat and support the species’ future reproduction.
The current emergency echoes recent wildfire challenges elsewhere in Spain, including lockdowns imposed in several Catalan towns during a major blaze in Les Gavarres, as detailed in this related report on the La Bisbal d'Empordà fire.
Wildfires pose a recurring threat in Spain, especially during prolonged drought and high temperatures. Emergency services coordinate resources across levels of government, while heat and dry conditions, combined with difficult terrain, continue to complicate suppression and recovery. The Soneja fire affected Azuébar and protected wildlife habitat, highlighting the challenges facing rural communities during extreme fire conditions.
