Spanish authorities on Wednesday eased lockdown measures for thousands of residents in Catalonia after firefighters made progress in containing a massive forest fire that has burned for three consecutive days.
The wildfire, which broke out on Monday in Tarragona province, has scorched over 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres), including a significant portion of the protected Els Ports natural park, according to Catalan countryside rangers.
A stay-at-home order issued for around 18,000 people on Tuesday was lifted for most areas, except for the municipality of Pauls, where residents can now go outdoors but are not permitted to leave the locality, the Catalan civil protection agency said on X (formerly Twitter).
Catalonia’s fire service reported that the blaze had been “stabilised,” but firefighting teams, supported by helicopters and aircraft, remain on the ground tackling isolated hotspots in remote and rugged terrain.
Spain has recently experienced extreme heat, with June 2025 declared the hottest on record by the national weather agency AEMET. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying the duration and severity of heatwaves, contributing to the growing risk of wildfires.
In 2022, Spain recorded around 500 wildfires, which destroyed approximately 300,000 hectares — the highest annual loss in the European Union, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.