A large-scale fire has kept the Costa Brava on alert this Friday after ravaging some 2,300 hectares and forcing the confinement of around 10,000 people in several municipalities of Baix Empordà.
The fire originated in the morning in La Bisbal d’Empordà and spread rapidly towards the Les Gavarres massif, a natural area particularly vulnerable due to accumulated vegetation, the tramontana wind, and its proximity to inhabited areas and tourist zones.
The Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested a man for his alleged involvement in the origin of the fire. Initial investigations point to the use of an angle grinder by the roadside on a day of extreme fire risk.
The Generalitat has asked the public to avoid traveling to the area, especially those with second homes on the Costa Brava, so as not to hinder firefighting efforts or cause traffic jams on roads already affected by closures.
Latest data on the fire in Costa Brava
The fire now affects about 2,300 hectares, according to the latest report communicated by the Generalitat.
The fire has kept about 10,000 people confined in municipalities around La Bisbal d’Empordà, Calonge, Platja d’Aro, and Santa Cristina d’Aro.
Firefighters are working with a large deployment to limit the fire's perimeter, protect inhabited areas, and prevent the right flank from opening up with the entry of new winds.
The emergency is particularly complex because the fire is occurring in the middle of the tourist season, in an area with a lot of mobility, second homes, housing developments, summer camps, and high-traffic roads.
Where the fire started
The main focus started in La Bisbal d’Empordà, in Girona.
From there, the flames advanced towards Les Gavarres and affected neighboring municipalities. The tramontana wind has been one of the main factors of propagation, generating secondary outbreaks and hindering the work of the extinction teams.
The fire has caused a smoke column visible from several points on the Costa Brava and a large pyrocumulus, a cloud generated by the heat of the fire itself that can alter the fire's behavior.
Affected municipalities and confinements
The fire has forced the activation of confinements in several municipalities of Baix Empordà.
Among the affected areas are La Bisbal d’Empordà, Calonge, Platja d’Aro, Santa Cristina d’Aro, and areas near the Les Gavarres massif.
Civil Protection has asked residents to remain in their homes, close doors and windows, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow only official instructions.
A colony house with children in La Bisbal d’Empordà has also been confined. Emergency teams considered it safer to keep them inside the building than to evacuate them during the fire's evolution.
Evacuations in Romanyà de la Selva
Firefighters have ordered the evacuation of about 150 people in Romanyà de la Selva, between a housing development and a colony house.
The decision was made as a preventive measure due to the fire's advance and the risk of flames approaching inhabited areas.
The evacuated individuals have been transferred to safe locations while emergency teams work to protect homes, access roads, and nearby forest areas.
One arrested for the possible origin of the fire
The Mossos d’Esquadra have arrested a man for his alleged involvement in the start of the fire.
The main hypothesis is that the fire may have originated from the use of an angle grinder at the roadside. On a day of extreme risk, this type of work can generate sparks capable of igniting dry vegetation in a few seconds.
The investigation will need to determine if there was negligence, non-compliance with restrictions, or criminal responsibility in the origin of the fire.
Roads closed in Girona
The fire has forced the closure of several roads in the area.
Affected roads include the C-66 in the vicinity of Palafrugell, the GI-660 between La Bisbal d’Empordà and Calonge, and the GIV-6612 between Llagostera and Calonge.
Authorities are asking people to avoid traveling to the area because the closures may change depending on the fire's evolution, smoke visibility, and the needs of emergency teams.
The priority is to keep access roads clear for firefighters, police, civil protection, ambulances, rural agents, and support personnel.
Illa asks to avoid travel
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has asked citizens not to travel to the affected area.
The message is particularly aimed at those who have second homes on the Costa Brava or were planning to travel to Baix Empordà this weekend.
Illa has called for caution, asked people to follow the instructions of firefighters and Civil Protection, and announced that he will travel to the operations center to monitor the emergency's evolution.
The UME joins the operation
The Generalitat has requested the support of the Military Emergencies Unit.
The UME has mobilized about 200 soldiers and 60 vehicles to the area to reinforce response capacity to the fire and the possibility of other simultaneous fires in Catalonia.
Their deployment allows for the release of resources, reinforcement of night work, and an increase in logistical capacity in an emergency that the Firefighters expect may last for days.
Why this fire is so concerning
The fire is concerning for four reasons.
First, its scale: it has already burned about 2,300 hectares and remains active.
Second, the area: it affects Les Gavarres, a protected natural space very close to tourist towns and urbanizations.
Third, the wind: the tramontana has driven the flames and generated secondary outbreaks.
And fourth, the timing: the Costa Brava is in the middle of the tourist season, with thousands of people traveling, second homes occupied, and roads with heavy traffic.
What are secondary outbreaks
Secondary outbreaks are new points of fire that appear far from the main front.
They occur when the wind carries embers, incandescent leaves, or fragments of burning material and deposits them in areas not yet burned.
This phenomenon makes extinguishing very difficult because it forces firefighters to divide resources and monitor areas that were apparently outside the immediate reach of the flames.
In the La Bisbal d’Empordà fire, the tramontana has been key to explaining the appearance of these outbreaks and the speed of propagation.
What is a pyrocumulus
The fire has generated a large column of smoke and a pyrocumulus.
A pyrocumulus is a cloud formed by the extreme heat of a fire. Hot air rises forcefully, carrying smoke, ash, and moisture, and can modify the meteorological conditions around the fire.
This phenomenon is concerning because it can increase instability, alter the wind, and make it difficult to predict the fire's behavior.
This is why specialized teams monitor not only the perimeter of the flames but also the evolution of the smoke column.
The wind change, the big unknown
One of the critical points of the emergency is the wind change.
During the day, the tramontana favored the spread of the fire. The unknown is how the fire will behave with the decrease of that wind and the arrival of the marinada from the south.
That change can modify the active flanks and open new risk scenarios, especially on the right flank of the fire.
Firefighters are working to shorten that front and prevent the fire, if it opens up, from gaining more ground towards inhabited or difficult-to-access areas.
What Civil Protection Recommends
Civil Protection asks residents of the confined areas not to leave their homes unless expressly instructed by emergency services.
The basic recommendations are to close doors and windows, turn off ventilation systems that could introduce smoke, stay informed through official channels, and not approach forest areas or closed roads.
Those outside the area are asked not to travel to the affected area, even if they have a home there, so as not to interfere with extinguishing efforts.
The Worst Fire of the Year in Catalonia
The La Bisbal d’Empordà fire is already the worst of the year in Catalonia in terms of surface area burned and the complexity of the operation.
The combination of wind, forest mass, tourist mobility, and risk to inhabited areas has forced the activation of the highest level of command for the Fire Department. The immediate priority is not only to extinguish the fire but also to prevent it from growing, protect the population, and ensure that no new simultaneous fires occur that would saturate available resources.