The secretary general of the Catalan PP, Juan Fernández, has urged Generalitat president Salvador Illa to "plan better" and listen to rural communities after the wildfire that began on Friday in La Bisbal d'Empordà, Girona, burned more than 2,000 hectares. The political row matters for residents in the affected parts of the Baix Empordà and neighbouring areas because the fire has already damaged homes, triggered confinements and road restrictions, and required a large emergency response.

Fernández said on Sunday that better planning and greater attention to people living and working in rural areas were needed to prevent fires like the one in Les Gavarres. His comments came after several days of fire-fighting in and around La Bisbal d'Empordà, with Bombers de la Generalitat, Catalonia's fire service, warning that extinction work would take days even after stabilisation.

"Plan better" and listen to the rural community to avoid fires like the one that started last Friday in La Bisbal d'Empordà, Juan Fernández said.

What happened in La Bisbal d'Empordà

The fire started on Thursday 3 July and spread through the Les Gavarres massif in Girona province. Early official and agency reports said it affected 12 municipalities, and later updates put the burned area above 2,000 hectares.

  • RTVE, citing emergency services, reported on 3 July that the fire was affecting 12 localities.
  • Later reporting from La Vanguardia and El Periódico said the burned area had reached about 2,300 hectares.
  • Agencia EFE reported on 5 July that 16 houses had been damaged, eight of them completely.

The fire also led to confinements and access restrictions in parts of the area. For local residents, that has meant limits on movement, disrupted road access and ongoing concern over flare-ups while crews continue to work on the perimeter.

Emergency response and investigation

During the peak of the incident, around 500 personnel were deployed, according to La Vanguardia. President Illa requested support from the UME, Spain's Military Emergency Unit, and the Generalitat closed access to the Les Gavarres massif as the fire advanced.

Several reports also said one man was arrested in connection with the fire after allegedly causing sparks while working with a power tool. That investigation remains a matter for the authorities.

Residents who need live operational updates should follow official notices from Bombers de la Generalitat, the 112 emergency service, and their local Ajuntament, or town hall, for any confinement orders, road closures or access restrictions that remain in place.

Fernández's intervention

Fernández was appointed secretary general of the Catalan PP in late June. His criticism of Illa links the wildfire response to a broader political argument from the party about land management and rural policy in Catalonia.

His statement did not set out specific new measures in the material released on Sunday, but it directly tied the La Bisbal d'Empordà fire to what he described as a need for better planning and closer attention to the rural world. The most immediate issue for people in the affected area remains the condition of damaged properties, any remaining restrictions, and the continued work by emergency services in Les Gavarres.

Reported by RTVE.es/AGENCIAS, Rafael González, euronews.com, Agencia EFE, Por Newsroom Infobae Agregar Infobae en Agrega Infobae a tus medios preferidos en Google, lavanguardia.com, Redacción, El Periódico, elmundo.es, EFE, Hugo Bernal, Cristina Sen, Gisela Boada, europapress.es, abc.es, russpain.com, Europa Press Barcelona.