Orés wildfire stabilized at 14,400 hectares burned; 1,000 evacuees await return after five-day battle

The forest fire that broke out on 15 July in Orés, in the Cinco Villas region of Zaragoza, was declared stabilized on the afternoon of Sunday 19 July. The announcement came after a night in which the perimeter stopped expanding and firefighting crews managed to contain the flames across a 78-kilometre front. The burned area stands at 14,400 hectares, according to satellite imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel programme, while the total affected perimeter covers 15,700 hectares.

Firefighting efforts and current status

More than 450 personnel from the Government of Aragón, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and fire brigades from various administrations worked through the weekend to consolidate the perimeter. The director of extinction, Alfonso González, described the situation as "quite encouraging" compared to previous days, noting that no flames were visible and only a few smoke columns remained. However, he stressed that the priority was to "consolidate the perimeter" and monitor several unburned islands of vegetation inside the fire zone that could reignite.

Today is the first day we breathe, the first day the fire looks different from these past days. Not only is there no flame, but we see few smoke columns, but that does not mean we will lower our guard.

President Jorge Azcón made the remarks after flying over the area in a coordination helicopter. The operational level remains at Situation 2 Level 2 of the Special Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires (PROCINFO), and the extinguishing operation will continue to prevent any flare-ups.

Evacuations and damage

Around 1,000 residents were evacuated from Orés, Asín, Luesia, Malpica de Arba, Uncastillo and the Navarrese enclave of Petilla de Aragón. By Saturday evening, about 60 people remained in a sports hall in Ejea de los Caballeros, while others were relocated to hotels in Ejea, Sádaba, Tauste and Huesca. Elderly residents from care homes were moved to a centre in Zaragoza and are reported to be in good condition.

The fire entered the urban area of Asín and damaged ten homes. Controlled convoys have been organised to allow residents to retrieve medicines, clothing and other belongings, and to feed livestock. Five roads in the area remain closed.

Preparing the return

With the fire stabilized, the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI) has begun planning the de-escalation of the emergency. Councillor Roberto Bermúdez de Castro said that "the fire is stabilized, which does not mean it is controlled or extinguished," but the favourable evolution allows work to start on restoring basic services. Electricity, telephony and drinking water are expected to be fully available in the five evacuated municipalities by Monday morning, a prerequisite for the safe return of residents.

With due caution, the condition of homes and infrastructure will be checked so that people can return to their houses, a decision that can be taken over the coming days.

Vice-president Mar Vaquero confirmed that the nine other municipalities placed on alert did not need to be evacuated, calling the overall outlook "much more favourable and optimistic."

Weather and next steps

Weather conditions gave firefighters a slight respite on Sunday, with wind gusts not exceeding 30 kilometres per hour, though a change in direction forecast for the afternoon and high temperatures kept crews on alert. The main concern remains sectors 5 and 6 of the fire, where any reactivation could push flames toward the Sierra de Santo Domingo. The Government of Aragón has again urged the public not to approach the area and to ignore false rumours circulating on social media about insufficient resources.