Virulent fires in Northern Catalonia and Castellón

BarcelonaThe fire that broke out on Saturday in the town of Trevillac in Northern Catalonia forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. The fire has already burned more than 2,000 hectares, mainly forest, about 35 kilometers from Perpignan, and seriously injured a firefighter and a civilian. French authorities assured this Sunday afternoon that the situation is "very complicated", a consequence of the high temperatures that have been plaguing France these days and the gusts of tramontana wind that are hindering the firefighters' work. As a result, the third stage of the Tour de France, which will start from Granollers this Monday, will be affected by the fire: there will be no public or caravan. More than 750 firefighters have been working throughout the day, with the support of a dozen aerial means, to try to prevent the fire from advancing towards the Aspres massif.

Evacuees in Assuèvar

The situation is also very complicated in the Valencian Country, especially in the inland regions of Castelló. This Sunday at midday, the first major fire of the summer season broke out, in this case in the municipality of Soneixa, in the Alt Palància region, a fire that advanced uncontrollably and forced the authorities to evacuate the small town of Assuévar, in the heart of the Sierra de Espadà Natural Park. The evolution of the flames is “disfavorable”, due to the orography and high temperatures, and as a preventive measure, it was decided that the nearly 500 inhabitants of this municipality in the Alt Palància region would be evacuated. Assuévar is a tourist town, and many of these people have returned to their primary residence, while those who live there all year round have been transferred to Soneixa. The virulence of the fire led the Military Emergencies Unit (UME) to go to the area to assist in the extinction tasks, which involved about fifteen aerial resources.