Catalan firefighters are preparing for the highest wildfire risk on Wednesday, 15 July, according to reporting published on Tuesday by Olive Press News Spain.
The warning matters for residents, hikers, campers, farmers and visitors in fire-prone areas: hot, dry and windy conditions can allow a small ignition source to develop quickly into a forest fire. People should avoid activities that create flames, heat or sparks in affected countryside areas.
Pla Alfa alert covers 133 municipalities
A separate report citing the Rural Agents Corps, the Catalan government's countryside enforcement service, says 133 municipalities in Girona, Tarragona and Lleida have been placed on a very high wildfire-risk alert for Saturday under Pla Alfa, Catalonia's daily operational wildfire-risk system.
“The Rural Agents Corps has classified 133 municipalities in Girona, Tarragona and Lleida at very high fire risk for Saturday under Pla Alfa.”
The notice does not state that the 133-municipality alert applies on Wednesday. It identifies the affected provinces, but the supplied information does not include the municipal list.
Residents urged to avoid ignition risks
The reported precautions apply particularly to people using rural or wooded areas. Activities to avoid include:
- lighting fires where they are not expressly permitted;
- using machinery that could ignite dry vegetation; and
- discarding cigarette ends carelessly.
The Rural Agents Corps monitors the affected areas alongside weather alerts from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, known as the SMC. The Catalan Interior Department has also activated summer prevention and emergency-response measures.
Reported by Source Text Link, Raquel Rodríguez, catalan.news, Cesc Maideu, ARA, catalannews.com, Rafael Medrano, russpain.com, euroweeklynews.com, system, News Desk, aa.com.tr, ctvnews.ca, Olive Press News Spain.
