Wildfire in Leciñena, Zaragoza scorches over 1,000 hectares as wind fans flames, military called in to assist
A wildfire that ignited on Tuesday afternoon in Leciñena, Zaragoza province, has consumed more than 1,000 hectares of pine forest, scrubland and farm fields, driven by gusts of up to 70 km/h. The regional government has activated the military emergency unit (UME) while ground crews work through the night.
Fire ignites and spreads rapidly
A wildfire broke out around 15:30 on 30 June in the municipality of Leciñena, in the Monegros region of Zaragoza province, roughly 40 kilometres from the city of Zaragoza. Fanned by strong winds, the flames quickly spread through low scrub, kermes oak, brush and agricultural land before entering the pine forests of the Sierra de Alcubierre.
Within hours the burned area exceeded 1,000 hectares, double the footprint of the La Litera fire that struck the region only a week earlier. The regional government described the blaze as far more worrying than the previous one, citing its rapid advance through forest mass and the alignment of the wind pushing it toward the province of Huesca.
- Fire breaks out in Leciñena, Zaragoza
- PROCINFO emergency plan activated at level 1, immediately escalated to level 2; UME mobilised
- Burned area reaches nearly 500 hectares
- Fire exceeds 1,000 hectares; Bermúdez de Castro says 'we are not at all optimistic'
- Air assets withdrawn for the night; ground crews continue containment efforts
Emergency response and UME deployment
The Aragon government activated the Special Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires (PROCINFO) at 17:00 in situation operational 1 and escalated it almost immediately to situation operational 2, level 1, which triggers the intervention of the Military Emergency Unit (UME). The IV Battalion, based in Zaragoza, was dispatched to the area.
Roughly 250 personnel were deployed, including ground and heliborne brigades from the regional INFOAR service, units from the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), BRIF Daroca helicopters, an amphibious FOCA aircraft, two light amphibious planes, and heavy bulldozers. Fire crews from the Zaragoza provincial council and the city fire department also joined the effort. Air assets were forced to withdraw after dark, leaving a large ground contingent to fight the fire overnight.
Officials voice pessimism as night falls
Regional finance and interior councillor Roberto Bermúdez de Castro did not hide the seriousness of the situation.
We are not at all optimistic.
Vice-President Mar Vaquero, who travelled to the forward command post set up at the Leciñena football pitch, noted that the wind was aligned in favour of the fire and advancing toward the Sierra de Alcubierre. While no population centres are currently threatened and evacuations are not expected, authorities are working to prevent the fire from reaching the municipality of Robres. The A-129 road has been cut between Leciñena and Alcubierre.
Regarding the cause, Vaquero said one hypothesis points to a combine harvester, though she stressed that the investigation is ongoing.
It could have been a combine harvester.
A difficult summer ahead
Officials indicated that the overnight hours might bring some meteorological relief. The vice-president expressed hope that the wind would ease during the night, noting that the current gusts act as fuel on the low scrub and hilly terrain. The fire comes barely a week after the Tamarite de Litera blaze and reinforces warnings that Aragon faces a tough wildfire season.
President Jorge Azcón participated in the coordination meeting by videoconference from Brussels. Bermúdez de Castro confirmed that extinguishing crews would work intensively throughout the night to contain the fire, which as of late evening remained uncontained.
