Aragón escalates wildfire response to Level 2, deploys military unit as flames near homes in Peñarroya de Tastavins
Spain's Aragon region mobilised military emergency crews and cut a road after a forest fire broke out next to rural homes in Peñarroya de Tastavins on Sunday afternoon, spreading to threaten four nearby towns.
Fire breaks out near village
On Sunday afternoon, a wildfire ignited near the Barranco de la Virgen in the municipality of Peñarroya de Tastavins, Teruel, in the autonomous community of Aragón. The blaze started in a pine forest area adjacent to the A-2413 road, where several rural houses (masías) and agricultural buildings are located. The flames quickly threatened these structures, prompting the regional government to activate the Special Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires (PROCINFO) at Operational Status 2 - Level 2, a category reserved for extraordinary emergencies that endanger population centres or critical infrastructure.
Emergency escalation and military deployment
After raising the alert to Level 2, the Government of Aragón requested support from the Military Emergency Unit (UME), which began moving the Fourth Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM IV) to the fire zone. The UME is a specialised corps under Spain’s Ministry of Defence tasked with responding to major disasters. An Advanced Command Post was also set up to coordinate the firefighting operation. The regional government cut the A-1414 road between Monroyo and Fuentespalda, a key artery in the area, and sent an ES-Alert mass notification to residents of Peñarroya de Tastavins, Monroyo, Fuentespalda and Ráfales, urging them to stay indoors, protect themselves from smoke and follow instructions from emergency services, local authorities and Civil Protection.
Firefighting resources on scene
The INFOAR fire prevention and suppression service of Aragon deployed a large contingent. By early evening the operation included one coordination helicopter (H0), four heliborne brigades (Lima 3, Lima 5, Lima 6 and Mike 2) with their respective helicopters based in Peñalba, Alcorisa, Calamocha and Blancos del Coscojar, 19 ground brigades, 11 fire engines (autobombas) and 3 bulldozers. Additional assets from Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) were dispatched: the BRIF (Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade) from Daroca, a water-bombing helicopter from Plasencia del Monte and a FOCA amphibious aircraft. Firefighters from the Provincial Council of Teruel and local farmers also joined the effort.
Parallel threat in Catalonia
A separate forest fire in the Vall d’Infern area of Aiguamúrcia (Tarragona), Catalonia, burned more than 114 hectares and forced the confinement of roughly 2,500 people in several hamlets, including Bonany, Valldossera, Mas Bermell and Can Llenes. The Catalan fire department deployed 70 crews, including aerial units, after receiving the alert at 15:57 on Sunday. Although that incident is not linked to the Peñarroya de Tastavins fire, both blazes underline the high wildfire risk during the summer heatwave across northeastern Spain.
Outlook and ongoing response
As of the last reports, the Teruel fire remained active and the number of deployed resources was growing. The Government of Aragon stated it would provide further updates as the situation evolved. No evacuation orders had been issued for the four alerted towns, but residents were advised to avoid the affected area and monitor official channels. The arrival of the UME battalion and the coordination of aerial and ground means are expected to intensify suppression efforts throughout the night.
