Starting this Thursday, the number of Catalan municipalities in Catalonia with the maximum forest fire risk level is doubling. The Rural Agents have placed over 100 municipalities in this situation, compared to 43 registered on Wednesday. Currently, 17 counties are under this extreme danger, and an additional 280 municipalities present a very high fire risk, affecting nearly a third of Catalan populations.
Access restrictions to natural areas have been expanded, prohibiting entry to seven parks. In addition to the already closed Montmell-Marmellar, Montsant, and Prades, seven more are now included: Montsec d'Ares, Montsec de Rúbies, la Baronia de Rialb, and la Ribera Salada. It is anticipated that more parks may be closed over the weekend due to the heatwave.
The combination of high temperatures, low relative humidity, and afternoon sea breezes progressively increases the fire danger, with a peak expected for the weekend.
The situation has worsened after firefighters worked against three fires on Wednesday. One, in high mountain terrain, was located in Os de Civís, in Alt Urgell, affecting one hectare of forest vegetation in a difficult-to-access area, possibly caused by lightning. No personal injuries were reported.
The other two fires necessitated lockdowns. In Canyelles, in Garraf, a fire burned one hectare and forced approximately 3,000 residents to stay home. According to municipal sources, the fire may have started due to recklessness. In Masllorenç, in Baix Penedès, the confinement of about 600 residents has been requested due to another fire that has burned about ten hectares.
