The out‑of‑control wildfire on the Costa Brava has burned roughly 750 hectares of forest and compelled about 12,000 residents to remain indoors across several municipalities in Girona.
The Generalitat of Catalonia has appealed to the UME for assistance in combating the Empordà wildfire, which ignited in La Bisbal d’Empordà and, per Rural Agents, may have originated from road‑related mechanical work.
Generalitat President Salvador Illa warned of the wildfire’s magnitude and urged citizens to obey authorities’ directives precisely, while the Generalitat recommended that residents in the Barcelona region refrain from traveling to Baix Empordà, Gironès, and Pla de l’Estany to facilitate firefighting efforts.
Preventive lockdown and mobile alerts
The La Bisbal fire, still raging after spreading into the Les Gavarres massif, has generated a dense smoke plume and triggered a preventive lockdown of several municipalities in the Empordà region, affecting roughly 12,000 people. Additionally, around 40,000 individuals have received Es‑Alert mobile warnings from phone‑mast coverage.
A holiday camp under the lockdown shelters 150 children, all of whom are safe. Meanwhile, a separate fire in Vilavenut, within Girona province, has compelled residents of Vilavenut and Palol de la Farga to stay indoors, and alerts have been issued to the surrounding population.
Firefighters have mobilized over fifty crews, including eleven aircraft, to combat the La Bisbal wildfire, which is being driven by the tramontana wind and has produced secondary outbreaks in Les Gavarres. Declared at 09:17, the fire may shift to a sea breeze (marinada), so crews are attacking its right flank to hinder its advance toward the coast.
The Vilavenut fire, ignited around midday, is spreading through farmland and is being tackled by three aircraft, 17 ground units, and tractors plowing the terrain to curb the flames. The incidents have also led to road closures, notably the C‑66 in Palafrugell and routes in Cornellà del Terri, Vilademuls, La Bisbal d’Empordà, Calonge, Banyoles, and Llagostera.
On X, numerous users have posted videos and images of the blaze in the Les Gavarres mountains and Baix Empordà, conveying shock and solidarity with firefighters and local residents.
