The Ebro River is at maximum risk of fire in the next 24 hours.

BarcelonaThe Terres de l'Ebre region will enter an "extreme" risk of fire this Sunday, the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries has warned. With temperatures above 33°C and a forecast mistral wind, up to 25 municipalities in the Baix Ebre, Ribera d'Ebre, Baix Camp, and Priorat regions will be placed under Level 4 of the Rural Agents' Alfa Plan in the next 24 hours.

Specifically, Benifallet, El Perelló, L'Ametlla de Mar, Tivenys, Tortosa, Tivissa and Vandellòs, and Hospitalet de l'Infant. Furthermore, Agents Rurals has restricted access to the natural areas of the Cardó-Boix mountain range and the Tivissa-Vandellós mountains.

In addition, 52 Catalan municipalities in a total of 8 regions will also be at level 3, due to a very high risk of forest fires. In Empordà, the chances of a fire will be very high in the area around Cape Creus, where the north wind will blow strongly.

However, authorities are more concerned about the Ebro, where there are fewer water collection points and larger areas. "We have an episode of mistral and north winds ahead of us that will require us to be alert and redeploy personnel," said Ricard Expósito, head of the Terres de l'Ebre emergency region.

The highest peak wind speed in the Ebro, with gusts of up to 120 km/h, is expected on Sunday, Expósito noted, emphasizing that a large part of Catalonia is at low risk of fire thanks to the fact that July has been much rainier than usual. For this reason, resources will be deployed to the risk areas: there will be extra firefighter units in Ascó and L'Ametlla de Mar and the 112 service in Reus, and two firefighting helicopters.

Expósito noted that the mistral wind should ease by Monday, but the wind will then be "major during the day and master at night," which means there may be sudden changes in wind direction. "We prefer a stronger and more constant wind in one direction," he admitted.

The regeneration of Paüls, in autumn

This warning on the Ebro comes only two weeks after the serious fire that burned a large area of the Els Ports Natural ParkThis Saturday, the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, visited the site and announced that regeneration work in the affected area will begin in the fall. Specifically, fasces (vegetation margins) are planned for more than 350 hectares of steeper land; that is, just over 10% of the affected area. Burned trees will also be monitored along the perimeter of the fire to ensure environmental health against potential pests, as well as the repair of approximately 20 kilometers of trails. The removal of burned wood will be facilitated to promote economic use, and burned trees will be monitored to reduce the risk of borer infestations.

According to Ordeig, these measures must be implemented in collaboration with forest owners, local councils, and farmers. "Our goal must be to continue carrying out forest improvement and management actions. Some of the urgent measures will help us have a more resilient territory," he said. Mayors, farmers, and ranchers from the affected towns met with the regional minister. After the meeting, the mayors of Xerta and Paüls—two of the municipalities hardest hit by the fire—thanked him for the explanations, but called for "a move from words to deeds."

"We left with the feeling that there is a lot of work to be done and that everything that is coming our way will not be easy," the mayor of Paüls, Enric Adell, told ACN. "Some structural issues have needed to be reflected upon for many years, and it is very difficult to make progress, but we hope that this disaster will serve to ensure that things can be addressed differently in the future," Adell added. The mayor of Xerta, Roger Aviñó, agreed: "Agriculture is disappearing, and this situation must be reversed."

For now, the Government has informed them that the removal of dead trees, the repair of water points and the opening of access paths have already been carried out, including the one to the Paüls canal ravine, the access road to the Font Nova Natural Park (Alfara de Carles) and the Calla de Carles path.