The forest fire declared last Thursday in Segorbe, in the province of Castellón, has been stabilized this Sunday after burning around 630 hectares and forcing the evacuation of nearly a thousand people from Gátova.
The declaration represents a decisive advance in the extinction efforts. The fire already showed a favorable evolution and had not expanded its area during the last hours, but it remained active and uncontained until the new communication from the emergency services.
The fire originated at 20:20 on Thursday due to the fall of a lightning strike during a dry storm. The flames advanced from the municipality of Segorbe towards Gátova and affected the surroundings of the Natural Park of the Sierra Calderona.
What it means for the fire to be stabilized
Stabilization means that the fire is evolving within the control lines established by the extinction teams and that it is not expected to exceed its perimeter under the anticipated conditions.
It does not mean that the fire is controlled or extinguished. The firefighters still need to cool down the hot spots, prevent re-ignitions, and secure the entire perimeter before moving on to the next phases.
The device deployed this Sunday includes six units and six fire trucks from the Forest Firefighters Service of the Generalitat Valenciana, four special units from the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters of Castellón, and four forest brigades from the Valencia Consortium.
During the most complicated moment of the emergency, around 350 people and 25 aerial resources worked in the area. The operation brought together forest and provincial firefighters, the Military Emergency Unit, Civil Guard, Autonomous Police, Civil Protection, Red Cross, and health and logistical personnel.
The fire has burned about 630 hectares
The latest measurement places the affected area at around 630 hectares. Of these, 395 hectares, 62%, correspond to the municipality of Segorbe, while the remaining 235, 38%, belong to Gátova.
The perimeter reached 18 kilometers, although the burned area stopped growing during the day on Saturday. The teams focused their efforts on preventing the flames from crossing the CV-25 road and approaching the urban area of Gátova.
The humidity and wind conditions facilitated the work during the night. Ground resources attacked the hotspots that continued to be active and monitored the areas with the highest risk of re-ignition.
When will the neighbors of Gátova be able to return
The stabilization allows for the study of the return of the nearly one thousand people evacuated from Gátova, but the return to the homes must be expressly authorized by those responsible for the emergency.
The Minister of Emergencies, Juan Carlos Valderrama, had linked the return to the stabilization of the fire. The decision also depends on whether the CV-25 can be used safely and whether the transit of private vehicles does not interfere with the work of the deployed teams.
Gátova has around 450 registered inhabitants, although during the summer its population increases due to the arrival of people with second homes and visitors.
A total of 37 evacuees, 20 men and 17 women, were housed in the Bétera sports center along with ten pets. Nine other people, five dependents and four companions, were transferred to a residence in Carlet.
The evacuation was ordered on Friday through two Es-Alert notifications sent to mobile phones in the area. The inhabitants had to leave the municipality towards Olocau and Bétera due to the proximity of the flames and the accumulation of smoke.
A lightning strike caused the fire
The investigation by the Seprona of the Civil Guard attributes the start of the fire to the fall of a lightning strike. Several neighbors observed the impact in a high area before the flames began to spread.
The storm was dry, so the electrical discharge was not accompanied by sufficient rain to moisten the vegetation. The wind, high temperatures, dryness of the ground, and complicated topography later favored the advance of the fire.
Emergency services have restricted access to the affected area. The prohibition includes cyclists, tourists, and people intending to approach to observe the fire, as firefighting vehicles continue to work on the ground.