Spain stabilizes Segorbe wildfire after 633 hectares burn in Sierra Calderona
Emergency crews in eastern Spain stabilized the Segorbe blaze on Sunday at 07:30, permitting the withdrawal of military units and initiating return procedures for 1,000 evacuated Gátova residents.
Fire stabilized in Sierra Calderona
Emergency authorities in the Valencian Community confirmed the stabilization of the Segorbe forest fire at 07:30 on Sunday, 23 August 2026. The fire began on Thursday night after a lightning strike hit the municipality of Segorbe in Castellón, subsequently spreading across terrain within the Sierra Calderona Natural Park. Emergency coordination services formally downgraded the fire response from situation 2 to situation 1 under the regional Special Plan for Forest Fires, and deactivated the multi-agency SPEIS coordination framework. While the fire is not yet fully controlled, response teams confirmed that the perimeter is no longer expanding beyond containment lines.
- Lightning strike ignites forest fire in Segorbe on Thursday night
- Authorities evacuate 1,000 residents from Gátova as flames advance
- 350 responders and 25 aircraft hold fire perimeter at 18 kilometers
- Emergency services declare fire stabilized and demobilize military units
Land area burned across municipal borders
Official assessments from emergency authorities show the fire covered a provisional total of 633 hectares across an 18-kilometer perimeter. All damaged land sits inside the Sierra Calderona Natural Park. Territorial division data shows that 395 hectares, representing 62% of the burned surface, belong to the municipality of Segorbe in Castellón. The remaining 235 hectares, or 38% of the affected area, belong to the municipal territory of Gátova in Valencia. Fire boundaries remained stable between Saturday and Sunday morning without claiming further forest acreage.
- Segorbe
- 395 ha
- Gátova
- 235 ha
Resource deployment and military withdrawal
Containment operations on Saturday mobilized 25 aerial units and approximately 350 personnel across multiple agencies, including regional forest firefighters, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), the Civil Guard, local police forces, Civil Protection volunteers, Cruz Roja, and environmental technicians. Overnight into Sunday, ground crews deployed six units and six fire engines from the Generalitat forest fire service, four special forest fire units from the Castellón consortium, and four forest brigades from the Valencia consortium. UME personnel conducted drone flights and perimeter surveillance throughout the night to detect hot spots. Following Sunday morning's stabilization declaration, UME troops initiated a drawdown back to their base in Bétera while remaining on standby.
Evacuation orders and road restrictions
The fire forced the evacuation of roughly 1,000 residents from the Valencian municipality of Gátova on Friday. Authorities maintained the displacement through Saturday night to facilitate the movement of emergency convoys along the narrow CV-25 motorway and prevent safety risks. Regional authorities also barred access to cyclists, tourists, and spectators attempting to visit the perimeter. Regional emergency councillor Juan Carlos Valderrama confirmed that resident repatriation remained tied directly to perimeter stabilization.
For now, they will remain evacuated today and, the moment the fire is stabilized, they will be able to return to their homes, which is a desire both they and we as managers of the fire share.
Central government delegate in Valencia Pilar Bernabé praised the compliance of local populations during the operation.
Yesterday an evacuation was carried out and the response of the citizens was without any doubt exemplary.
Fernando Kindelán, director of the Advanced Command Post, reported that weather conditions over Saturday matched forecasts. Crews extinguished critical internal sectors without facing the flame flare-ups that disrupted operations on Friday between 13:00 and 18:00.
