A forest fire declared between Soneja and Azuébar, in the province of Castellón, keeps emergency services on alert on a day marked by extreme temperatures and a high risk of fire in a large part of the country.
The fire is believed to have started around 2:00 PM this Sunday and has required the deployment of a large extinction device, with ground and air resources. The situation has led to the installation of the Advanced Command Post in Azuébar and the activation of level 1 of the Special Plan against the Risk of Forest Fires.
According to operational sources cited by Cadena SER, the evolution of the fire is "very negative", a assessment that reflects the difficulty of containing the flames in a context of heat, wind, and particularly vulnerable vegetation.
The Generalitat requests the intervention of the UME
The Generalitat Valenciana has requested the Ministry of the Interior to deploy the Military Emergencies Unit, UME, to reinforce extinction tasks. This was explained by the mayor of Azuébar, Jessica Miravete, in statements to Radio Castellón.
The request for the UME shows the authorities' concern about the fire's evolution and the possibility of the flames approaching sensitive areas. The operation is working with a dual priority: to stop the advance towards Azuébar and to protect the natural environment of the Balsa de la Dehesa de Soneja, located near the affected area.
The wind entering complicates extinction efforts and requires constant monitoring of the flames' direction. In fires of this nature, wind changes can open new fronts or accelerate propagation in a few minutes.
Air resources and closure of the Port of Sagunto
The device includes air resources working on water drops over the most compromised areas. To facilitate these operations, the Port of Sagunto has been closed to allow water loading for the mobilized aircraft.
Coordination between ground and air resources will be key in the coming hours. Air work can help contain the head of the fire and support ground teams, but stabilization will also depend on meteorological evolution and the ability to close the most active fronts.
The deployment is concentrated especially on points where the fire can gain speed or threaten inhabited areas and natural spaces.
Azuébar and Soneja, awaiting developments
The municipalities of Azuébar and Soneja remain pending the evolution of the fire. The proximity of the flames to the natural environment of the Balsa de la Dehesa and the possibility of the fire advancing towards more sensitive areas have raised concern among neighbors and local authorities.
For now, the objective of the emergency teams is to prevent the fire from consolidating in areas of difficult access or from the wind pushing the flames towards inhabited areas.
The next few hours will be decisive to know if the device manages to curb the advance or if the incorporation of the UME is necessary to reinforce the control of the perimeter.
Another fire in Castellfort
The fire between Soneja and Azuébar is not the only one declared this Sunday in the province of Castellón. At the same time, another forest fire has been registered in Castellfort, where aerial means have also been mobilized.
The coincidence of several outbreaks on the same day complicates resource management and confirms the high level of risk during this heat episode. The authorities maintain surveillance over different forest areas due to the possibility of new ignitions.
Extreme heat aggravates the risk
The situation comes in the midst of a heatwave, with very high maximum temperatures in several areas of the Peninsula and especially dangerous conditions for forest fires. The AEMET maintains an active heat episode that may continue for the next few days.
The scenario is delicate: high temperatures, low humidity, wind, and dry vegetation form a combination that favors the rapid spread of flames. Therefore, emergency services insist on extreme caution and avoiding any activity that could generate sparks or fire in forest areas.
The fire in Soneja and Azuébar thus enters a critical phase. The priority is to contain the advance, protect the population, and prevent the flames from reaching natural spaces or inhabited areas on an afternoon marked by extreme heat and the unfavorable evolution of the fire.