Camarasa wildfire stabilised at 21.8 hectares after confining 14 residents and entering protected natural area

A vegetation fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon in Camarasa (Noguera, Lleida) was stabilised by Bombers de la Generalitat at 22:30, after scorching 21.8 hectares of forest and agricultural land. Provisional data from the Agents Rurals confirmed the area, which is split by the C-13 road that remained closed between Camarasa and Vilanova de Meià. The blaze prompted Catalonia's civil protection agency to send an ES-Alert mobile message ordering the confinement of the Fontllonga hamlet, home to between 13 and 14 residents depending on the source. By Sunday morning, the confinement was lifted and residents of isolated houses were notified via the Mossos d'Esquadra and the mayor's office.

Fire progression and containment

The first alert reached the Bombers at 15:17, and an initial deployment of 20 ground crews, five aerial units and 76 firefighters was dispatched to the area near Fontllonga. As the flames spread into the Aiguabarreig Segre-Noguera Pallaresa protected natural space, the operation expanded to a peak of 55 ground crews, 11 aerial units and 160 personnel, supported by water tankers from the volunteer forest defence groups (ADF). The head of the fire moved through wooded terrain and cereal fields between the Camarasa reservoir and the Fontllonga settlement. During the night, 16 crews remained on site to consolidate the perimeter and dampen hotspots.

The confinement of Fontllonga is lifted after stabilisation of the fire.

Casualties and medical response

The Medical Emergency System activated two ambulances and a joint SEM-Bombers team. One man was transferred in a mild condition and later discharged on site. No other injuries were reported among residents or emergency personnel.

Broader fire weekend in Catalonia

The Camarasa fire was the most serious of several that stretched the Bombers de la Generalitat on Saturday. Earlier, a vegetation fire in Mont-roig del Camp forced the temporary confinement of the Casalot, La Marina, Costa del Zefir and Miami Platja areas, as well as the closure of the R16 rail line between L'Aldea and L'Ametlla de Mar and the A-7 motorway. That fire was controlled by 17:00 and burned 7 hectares, according to the Agents Rurals. Another fire broke out in the Racó de Santa Llúcia neighbourhood of Vilanova i la Geltrú and was quickly controlled with minimal impact. A fourth vegetation fire was reported in Aiguamúrcia at 18:42, drawing 11 ground crews and one aerial unit. The Sentmenat forest fire, controlled on Friday, had already affected 200 hectares earlier in the week.

Road and environmental impact

The C-13 highway was cut between Camarasa and Vilanova de Meià while the fire burned on both sides of the road. The protected natural area of Aiguabarreig Segre-Noguera Pallaresa, where the Noguera Pallaresa and Segre rivers meet, was directly affected. No damage to buildings or critical infrastructure inside Fontllonga was reported, and the hamlet remained intact.

Current status

As of Sunday morning, the fire is stabilised and the perimeter is being monitored by a reduced contingent. The Mossos d'Esquadra and the local council are handling the return to normality for the residents of the affected isolated houses.