Spain Eases Lockdown as Catalonia Wildfire Stabilizes After Days of Blazing Heat
Spanish authorities have lifted lockdown restrictions for most of the 18,000 residents affected by a forest fire in northeastern Catalonia, as firefighters make significant progress in containing the blaze.
The wildfire, which erupted earlier this week in Tarragona province, has scorched over 3,300 hectares, with about a third of the damage occurring in the protected Els Ports natural park, according to Catalan countryside rangers.
The Catalan civil protection agency announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the stay-at-home order imposed on Tuesday has now been lifted for all areas except the municipality of Pauls. While residents of Pauls can now go outdoors, they are still restricted from leaving the area.
Catalonia’s fire service reported the fire has been stabilized, though firefighting teams are continuing to tackle hotspots using ground crews, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft, particularly in remote and rugged terrain.
Experts warn that human-driven climate change is intensifying the conditions that lead to such wildfires. The country recently experienced a record-breaking heatwave, with the national meteorological agency AEMET confirming June as Spain’s hottest on record.
