Wildfire ravages 750 hectares and forces 12,000 people to stay indoors on Costa Brava
A wildfire fanned by the tramontana wind has burned around 750 hectares on the Costa Brava (Girona) and forced 12,000 people in several towns to stay indoors. In the area, another blaze in Vilavenut is affecting farmland.
Published on 03/07/2026 - 19:00 GMT+2•Updated 19:38
The flames of an out-of-control wildfire on the Costa Brava have devastated around 750 hectares of forest and have led to stay-at-home orders for some 12,000 people in several municipalities in Girona.
The Catalan regional government has requested support from Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit (UME) to fight the Empordà wildfire, which broke out in La Bisbal d’Empordà and may have been sparked by mechanical works on a road, according to the Rural Agents.
The president of the regional government, Salvador Illa, has warned of the scale of the fire and has urged people to follow the authorities’ instructions to the letter, while the Generalitat has advised residents in the Barcelona area to avoid travelling to Baix Empordà, Gironès and Pla de l'Estany to facilitate firefighting operations.
Preventive lockdowns and mobile alerts
The La Bisbal fire, still active and out of control after entering the Les Gavarres massif, has produced a huge plume of smoke and led to the preventive confinement of several municipalities in the Empordà area, affecting around 12,000 people. In addition, some 40,000 have received Es-Alert mobile warnings due to the coverage of mobile phone antennas.
In a holiday camp affected by the lockdown measures there are 150 minors, all of whom are safe. In the province of Girona, another fire in Vilavenut has forced residents of the villages of Vilavenut and Palol de la Farga to stay indoors, with alerts sent to the population.
Tramontana winds and road closures
Firefighters have deployed more than 50 crews, including 11 aerial units, to combat the La Bisbal wildfire, which is being driven by the tramontana wind and has generated secondary outbreaks in Les Gavarres. The blaze, declared at 09:17, could be affected by a shift to a sea breeze, so teams are working on its right flank to stop it spreading towards the coast.
The Vilavenut fire, which broke out around midday, is advancing through farmland and is being tackled by three aerial assets and 17 ground units, as well as tractors ploughing the land to slow the flames. The fires have also forced the closure of several roads, including the C-66 at Palafrugell and routes in Cornellà del Terri, Vilademuls, La Bisbal d’Empordà, Calonge, Banyoles and Llagostera.
On social network X, many people have shared, in dismay, videos and images of the fire in the Les Gavarres range and Baix Empordà, expressing their solidarity with the firefighters and local residents.
