The fire, which started in the municipality of Segorbe (Castellón) on the afternoon of August 20, has finally been extinguished this Tuesday at 9:00 AM by the Provincial Fire Consortium of Castellón. The flames have affected a total of 630 hectares, primarily within the Serra Calderona Natural Park, and necessitated the precautionary evacuation of the municipality of Gátova, in the province of Valencia.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the fire has ravaged 395 hectares of Segorbe's term and 235 hectares of Gátova's term. The entire affected area belongs to the Serra Calderona, a natural space of great ecological and landscape value for the neighboring regions.
The origin of the fire is attributed to a lightning strike during a storm in the area. This event ignited the dry vegetation, and the weather conditions of those August days, with high temperatures and extreme drought, facilitated a rapid advance of the flames.
The firefighting efforts were particularly complex due to the intense smoke column and sudden changes in wind direction. These factors required constant adjustments to the extinction strategy and reinforced surveillance in areas closest to the urban center of Gátova.
For safety reasons, authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of Gátova for two days. The risk to the population, combined with access difficulties for emergency teams, also led to the closure of the entrance to the municipality from the CV-25 road. The closure of this route facilitated the passage of emergency vehicles and prevented onlookers from entering the affected area.
The fire had already been declared under control on Tuesday, August 25, but close monitoring of the perimeter was maintained to prevent flare-ups. Finally, the Provincial Fire Consortium of Castellón declared it extinguished this Tuesday, September 2.
With the extinction confirmed, the phase of detailed damage assessment and environmental recovery of the burned area in the Serra Calderona now begins. These actions will help determine the true extent of the fire and plan future prevention measures.
