President of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, has declared that the forest fire in Vall d'Uixó is "out of control" and that its extinction is technically "very complicated" due to adverse weather conditions that will persist throughout the day. "We had a very complicated night," he stated after the Cecopi meeting held at the Advanced Command Post.
Llorca provided the first official figures on the affected area, estimating that 4,300 hectares have been burned and the fire's perimeter spans 40 kilometers. To combat it, 450 personnel and 20 aerial resources are deployed. Additionally, the Spanish Government has been requested to provide large-capacity aerial resources, such as FOCA planes and two amphibious aircraft, which will join the effort during the day.
Regarding the evacuated population, estimated between 15,000 and 16,000 people, the president lamented that "everything indicates that today no one will return to their homes" due to the "bad" weather conditions. These individuals will continue to be displaced in second homes, with relatives, or in the sports centers set up in towns like Nules and Moncofa.
In the early hours of Sunday, the Novaedat residence, housing over 100 elderly individuals with mobility issues, had to be evacuated. These 113 people were relocated to five residences in the provinces of Castellón and Valencia, with some being transported by ambulance as far as Carlet or Cullera. The La Plana Hospital in Vila-real has set up an area for the elderly, and local health centers have reinforced their staff.
The president emphasized the importance of following the instructions from the Es-Alert system for citizens to remain confined in la Vall and Betxí, warning that the absence of visible flames can lead to intoxication problems due to the proximity of smoke.
Addressing criticism about sending an operation of 60 Valencian firefighters to Madrid, Pérez Llorca explained that all those firefighters have now returned to assist with the fire in Vall d'Uixó. He stressed the need for coordinated work and clarified that no personnel from Castellón were sent to the Madrid operation, as there was an active fire in Aragón and several minor fires in Castellón itself. He also thanked Balearic Islands and Aragón for sending resources.
