The wildfire in Vall d'Uixó, which lasted seven days and affected 9,568 hectares with an 89-kilometer perimeter, has been declared stabilized. This classification means a stable perimeter has been established, but work is still required for its full review and extinction. The most affected municipality was Artana, with 3,160 hectares burned, of which 2,705 were forest mass, representing 12% of the Serra d'Espadà Natural Park.
Residents of the municipalities of Artana and Eslida can now return home, as no urban centers remain evacuated. However, the public has been asked not to travel through the forest, paths, or roads in the affected area for safety reasons, to avoid interfering with heavy machinery, and to facilitate the recovery of the forest mass.
The Minister of Emergencies, Juan Carlos Valderrama, thanked all those involved in the extinction and support efforts, including the mayors of the affected municipalities for their collaboration. Good coordination between administrations was highlighted.
Meteorological forecasts predict the arrival of dry storms in the province, which could favor the origin of new fires. Therefore, recommendations to residents, including prevention and bottled water consumption, remain in place.
Minister Valderrama also recalled the activation of aid amounting to 67 million euros for those affected by the fire, announced by the president of the Comunitat Valenciana, Juanfran Pérez Llorca. The Government Subdelegate, Antonia García, acknowledged the success in coordination and mentioned additional aid declared as a "Seriously Affected Area".
The operational director, Fernando Pérez, indicated that ground crews will remain overnight and will be reinforced tomorrow with seven brigades and firefighters from the Consortium. Aerial resources will resume operations early in the morning to consolidate sensitive areas. A wildfire is considered stabilized when the perimeter is closed but may still have hot spots that could reignite. To be considered controlled, all hot spots must be extinguished, and extinguished when there are no hot spots left within the perimeter.
The Provincial Council of Castellón has allocated 1.7 million euros in aid to the affected municipalities, thanking the public for their serenity and responsibility and reminding them to follow the instructions of the State Security Forces and Corps.
