Safety · Manises
78-year-old man found dead after wildfire in Manises ravine, Valencia
A 78-year-old man was found dead inside a car after a vegetation fire broke out in a ravine in Manises, Valencia, on Saturday afternoon.
In brief
The fire started around 12:45 pm on 25 July 2026 in vegetation of the barranco del Salt de l'Aigua in Manises, Valencia.
Initial response included six crews, two BRIFO units, and aerial support; by 14:30 the operation counted four aerial units, two pumpers, three crews and four forest brigades.
Firefighters discovered a 78-year-old man dead inside his vehicle after the blaze was extinguished, the Manises town hall confirmed.
The Manises town hall stated that the fire was under control by mid-afternoon, though the exact time of control was not specified.
- 12:45Fire breaks out in barranco del Salt de l'Aigua, Manises
- 14:30Response: four aerial units, two pumpers, three crews, four forest brigades working
- Mid-afternoonFire brought under control; body of a 78-year-old man discovered in a car
Fire ignition
At about 12:45 pm on Saturday, 25 July 2026, a fire ignited in vegetation in the barranco del Salt de l'Aigua, a ravine area in Manises, near Valencia. The Provincial Fire Consortium of Valencia reported the flames began around 12:45, while the Emergency Coordination Centre placed the start at approximately 12:50. The fire took hold in a zone of dense Mediterranean scrub and dry vegetation.
Escalating emergency response
A large deployment of firefighting resources was quickly mobilized. Initial units included six fire crews (dotaciones), two BRIFO rapid intervention brigades, a sergeant, a forest coordinator and an officer from the provincial consortium. A forest firefighting unit and two aerial assets from the regional government (Generalitat Valenciana) were also activated. By 14:30, the Emergency Coordination Centre reported that the contingent had expanded to four aerial means, two pumpers (autobombas), three crews and four forest brigades. Later municipal updates indicated that in total, nine fire crews and two aerial means worked to extinguish the blaze.
Fire controlled and victim discovered
By mid-afternoon the fire had been brought under control, the Manises town hall confirmed. After the flames were subdued, firefighters located the body of a 78-year-old man inside a car in the ravine area. Municipal sources confirmed his death. The town hall did not immediately release further details about the victim's identity or how he came to be in the area. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.