Sagunto declares extreme wildfire risk from Wednesday to Friday
The Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian regional government) has raised wildfire risk to level 3 in the Sagunto area from this Wednesday to Friday, as extreme-risk weather conditions are forecast for these days.
The Agencia Valenciana de Seguridad y Respuesta a las Emergencias (the region's emergency response agency), together with the Secretaría Autonómica de Medio Ambiente y Territorio (the regional environment department) of the Generalitat Valenciana, has declared level 3 of the wildfire pre-emergency plan for the period running from this Wednesday to next Friday. The declaration covers the Sagunto area and its surroundings, as part of the region's wildfire prevention system.
The warning comes in the middle of August, when high temperatures, low humidity and a lack of rain often combine to leave vegetation especially dry across much of the Valencian region. That combination of factors is what usually leads regional authorities to raise the alert level for several days in a row, as is happening now.
The original alert, issued late on Tuesday, does not go beyond stating the declared level and the dates it covers, so it has not been possible to confirm specific restrictions — such as a ban on agricultural burning or closed access to forest areas — tied to this particular declaration. Residents are advised to check official channels from the Generalitat and Sagunto City Council, as well as the 112 emergency number, for details on the measures in force during these three days.
Camp de Morvedre has forested land nearby, including the Sierra Calderona natural park, which is why extreme wildfire-risk episodes are followed closely both by the town hall and by residents of the district's municipalities. Declarations of this kind are usually accompanied by extra monitoring from forestry and emergency services for as long as they remain in force.
During this kind of episode, authorities typically stress basic fire precautions, such as avoiding barbecues or burning in the countryside and not discarding lit cigarette ends in natural areas, although the alert seen does not specify whether these particular recommendations are formally activated for these three days within the municipality. Wildfire risk in the district tends to stay elevated for much of the summer season, especially in the wooded areas surrounding towns and villages. The alert also coincides with the high tourist season on the Camp de Morvedre (the Sagunto district) coast, when the number of visitors near natural areas tends to rise, adding further reason for caution over these days.
Level 3 is the highest tier within the wildfire pre-emergency system used by the Generalitat Valenciana, reserved for days when weather-based risk indicators — mainly temperature, relative humidity and wind — reach their most unfavourable values. Activating it does not by itself mean a fire has started; rather, it raises preventive monitoring and readies available resources in case an emergency does occur during the days the warning is in force.
This is not the first time the district has faced days of extreme risk in the middle of summer. The terrain around the Sierra Calderona natural park, with extensive areas of scrubland and Mediterranean forest, explains the close attention paid by both Sagunto City Council and residents of neighbouring municipalities whenever this kind of warning is declared, since ground conditions favour rapid fire spread should one break out.
The timing of the alert, coinciding with the high tourist season, adds a further layer of exposure: residential developments near pine woods along the Camp de Morvedre coast, along with campsites and outdoor leisure spots across the district, hold more people at this time of year than at any other. Beyond following official channels, residents are urged to keep an eye on updated alerts the Generalitat may issue over these three days, since the declared level can change depending on how the forecast weather develops.
Although the alert seen does not detail specific actions by Protección Civil (Civil Protection) or the central government's delegation for these three days, this kind of declaration typically translates, in practice, into closer monitoring of the situation by municipal services and increased availability of air and ground firefighting resources across the Valencian Community. For any incident, the emergency line remains 112, the single emergency number that handles both reports of smoke or fire and enquiries about restrictions in force in each municipality.
For residents and visitors planning outdoor activities in the forested areas around Camp de Morvedre over these three days — hiking, camping or other trips into the hills — the usual advice at such high risk levels is to take extra care and avoid any source of fire in areas with vegetation. It is also worth staying informed through the local town hall's own channels, since forestry authorities can impose occasional access restrictions while this kind of alert remains in force, although the alert seen does not specify any for this particular case.
According to elperiodic.com — Sagunto.