A massive wildfire continues to rage in Paüls, located in the Baix Ebre region of southern Catalonia, consuming approximately 2,900 hectares and prompting confinement orders for nearly 18,000 residents, according to fire officials on Tuesday.
David Borrell, the head of the Catalan fire brigade, described the fire’s overnight behavior as “extreme,” driven primarily by strong northwesterly Mistral winds. Wind gusts accelerated from 25–30 km/h to speeds exceeding 90 km/h, rapidly fueling the blaze.
Multiple Towns Affected
The wildfire has severely impacted areas within the Ports Natural Park and is clearly visible from nearby towns such as Roquetes. Interior Minister Núria Parlon confirmed the extent of the damage from the crisis coordination center in Tortosa.
Local authorities have ordered residents in Paüls, Aldover, Xerta, Alfara de Carles, Jesús, Bitem, Roquetes, Tivenys, and Reguers (in Tortosa) to stay indoors. Civil Protection also imposed municipal-level lockdowns on Prat del Comte and Pinell de Brai.
Officials hope a predicted shift in wind direction around 2:00 pm Tuesday will aid in controlling the fire, potentially forcing firefighters to overhaul their current response strategy.
Challenging Terrain and Intense Winds
Borrell noted that while conditions were still difficult, they had improved compared to previous days. He highlighted that the mountainous terrain around Paüls makes this fire very different from the recent one in agricultural lands in La Noguera, La Segarra, and Urgell.
Nearly 90 ground units and around 300 firefighters are currently engaged in combating the flames. All off-duty firefighters were called in overnight under an M2 emergency protocol, requiring them to report immediately.
Military Assistance and Evacuations
To reinforce efforts, the Catalan government requested support from Spain’s Emergency Military Unit (UME), which has sent more than 100 soldiers to the area.
Fire crews have prioritized evacuations and protecting infrastructure, with several homes and isolated dwellings being cleared as the fire crossed the Ebre River. In Xerta, flames reached the town and destroyed a petrol station, according to social media footage.
Although restrictions were briefly relaxed around 7:00 pm Monday, worsening conditions forced authorities to reinstate them by 11:00 pm.
Firefighting from Air and Land
More than 200 personnel, including 16 aircraft and over 60 ground crews, worked throughout Monday to contain the fire, which broke out shortly after midday. The rugged, heavily forested landscape with ravines and steep slopes has hampered response efforts, making some areas reachable only on foot.
Additional firefighting aircraft were called in from Zaragoza and Mallorca, along with two high-capacity planes from the national Interior Ministry.
Joan Rovira, leading operations for Catalan firefighters, described the fire’s pace as overwhelming: “The fire is moving faster than we can respond.” Both flanks of the fire are proving difficult to manage and may continue burning well into Wednesday.
Though the blaze approached within 5 kilometers of several communities, authorities maintain that these villages have not been in immediate danger.
Fire Visible for Miles
The wildfire produced a towering pyrocumulus cloud visible across much of southern Catalonia. Emergency services reported receiving over 185 calls related to the incident.
Despite a recent drop in temperatures and rainfall across much of Catalonia, high heat continues in the south, keeping the wildfire risk elevated.
This fire follows another large blaze in Lleida last month that destroyed close to 6,000 hectares during an intense heatwave.
