Seven municipalities remained under confinement orders on Saturday 4 July because of the Les Gavarres wildfire, with the Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, keeping restrictions in place as firefighters tackled a blaze that had already affected parts of Baix Empordà and Gironès in Girona province.

The measure matters directly for residents in the affected towns because people have been told to stay indoors and avoid travel unless necessary, while road access and movement around the Les Gavarres massif remain restricted. Reports from Catalan media said about 45,000 people were affected by confinement orders.

Emergency restrictions stayed in force on Saturday

According to reporting by La Vanguardia, around 500 personnel were working on the fire. The outlet reported that Catalan president Salvador Illa had requested help from the UME, Spain's Military Emergency Unit, and urged people not to travel in the Empordà, Gironès and Pla de l'Estany areas, county-level districts in Girona province.

Several outlets reported that seven municipalities remained confined because of the fire in or around Les Gavarres, a large protected mountain massif that stretches across parts of Baix Empordà and Gironès. ARA reported that the wildfire had confined 45,000 people and affected several unoccupied homes in Calonge and Les Cabanyes.

In the worst-case scenario, the fire could burn the whole of Les Gavarres, Salvador Illa said, according to reports by Público, ABC, La Razón and Antena 3.

What is confirmed so far

  • The confinement order remained in force on Saturday 4 July for seven municipalities linked to the Les Gavarres fire.
  • La Vanguardia reported that around 500 personnel were deployed on the emergency operation.
  • ARA reported that about 45,000 people were affected by the confinement order.
  • Salvador Illa said the UME had been asked to assist and urged people not to travel in Empordà, Gironès and Pla de l'Estany.

Some reports also warned that, under the worst conditions, the fire could spread across as much as 30,000 hectares. That figure was cited by La Razón and Antena 3, while other verified reporting focused on the ongoing confinement orders and the scale of the emergency response.

For residents, the immediate instruction remained unchanged on Saturday: follow Civil Protection and local authority orders, stay inside if your municipality is confined, and avoid unnecessary journeys in the affected Girona areas while the operation continues.

Reported by lavanguardia.com, Aniol Costa-Pau, Albert Llimós, Agencias, larazon.es, Alba Gutiérrez Publicado: 04 de julio de 2026, 12:32, Agencia EFE.