Sagunto hires 59 workers for summer rural maintenance programme
Sagunto City Council has taken on 59 workers — 52 labourers and 7 supervisors — for forest clearance and rural road maintenance running from 1 July to 23 September.
The programme is backed by a budget of €447,097, of which €365,727 comes from Spain's national employment service SEPE and €81,370 from the municipal budget. Teams will operate across the municipality: the old Teruel road, Sierra Calderona, the Povitxol and Isleta areas, the Llíria and Gausa tracks, Rubio, Hostalera, Fontanelles, Montíber and Torreta, as well as the acequia del Rey and acequia de Gabau irrigation channels and the Marjal de Almenara wetlands. Tasks include vegetation clearance, wildfire prevention, drainage improvement, road signage and selective herbicide treatment.
Previous editions employed 69 people: €410,649 in 2025 and €428,294 in 2024. This year's budget is 8.8% higher than last year's despite hiring ten fewer workers. Sierra Calderona — a main work zone — sees between 25% and 40% of its wildfires ignited by dry lightning storms, well above the national average of 5%, making preventive work in the area particularly critical.
Mayor Darío Moreno highlighted the dual purpose of the brigades: securing farmers' access to their land and keeping routes open for firefighters and emergency services; Councillor Quesada added mileage reimbursement and a daily water supply as worker welfare measures. According to Sagunto City Council.