The fire in Segarra has spread to 347 hectares and the Generalitat (Catalan government) has issued an alert to confine residents.
The fire has affected homes in Granyanella and Curullada on a day with more than 30 fires in Catalonia.
BarcelonaThe Generalitat's Civil Protection Department has sent a mobile alert to residents of Cervera and Granyena de la Segarra using the EsAlert system, ordering them to self-isolate due to the forest fire raging this Saturday in the Segarra region. Confinement has also been ordered in the municipalities of Granyanella, Fonolleres, and La Curullada. According to initial investigations, the fire started in a vehicle in Granyena de la Segarra and spread to the surrounding fields. It also affected a small portion of the forest. The flames have affected approximately 347 hectares of land, according to the initial estimate by the Agents Rurals (Rural Agents), and have forced the complete closure of the A-2 between Cervera and Tàrrega.
The fire started around 1:30 a.m. and is the largest of the three active in Catalonia this afternoon. In fact, the Infocat plan alert has had to be activated due to the simultaneous fires requiring the fire brigade's attention.
Since the fields in the area weren't mowed, firefighters feared from the outset that the fire could spread rapidly. Therefore, several farmers deployed their tractors to plow sections of the fire perimeter.
Initially, the firefighters weren't worried about the fire affecting any infrastructure because the area is not close to any urban centers or roads. However, as the flames spread, the lockdown of nearby towns was ordered due to the potential impact of smoke. Emergency crews also requested traffic restrictions on the area's roads. In addition to the A2, the L-303, L-311B, LV-2141, the N-IIa in Cervera, and the N-IIa in Granyanella were also closed.
More than 200 firefighters
Firefighters are working on this blaze with 62 ground crews—including water trucks and command coordination vehicles—and eight aircraft are also in the area: three command helicopters, four bomber helicopters, and five surveillance and attack aircraft. In total, more than 200 firefighters are deployed in a work area of approximately 410 hectares.
From the start, they have prioritized the right flank, where the fire has the greatest potential to burn the crop fields. The operation has also been reinforced with nine Mossos d'Esquadra units, members of the Rural Agents, the Medical Emergency System, the Forestry Defense Groups, and the Special Fire Prevention Group of the Department of Agriculture (GEPIF).
Fire next to the AP-7
Meanwhile, the Generalitat Fire Brigade is working to extinguish a vegetation fire that broke out in Martorell (Baix Llobregat), 200 meters from the AP-7 motorway. The fire also reportedly affected some huts, according to the Fire Brigade, although no one has been injured.
The fire did not cause any damage to the motorway, but it did force the closure of the R4 Rodalies line to allow firefighters to work safely. For this fire, the Fire Brigade has deployed 17 ground crews and three air crews to extinguish the blaze, which started a few minutes after 2:00 p.m.
The third fire the Fire Brigade is dealing with this afternoon started in a haystack in San Salvador de Guardiola (Bages) and spread through an area of forest vegetation. The fire is still active and has already burned 1.5 hectares. Nine ground crews and two air crews have been deployed.
