Spanish authorities have eased lockdown measures for thousands of residents in Catalonia after significant progress was made in containing a forest fire that erupted on Monday, July 7, in the northeastern region.
The wildfire has scorched over 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres) in Tarragona province, with about one-third of the destruction occurring within the protected Els Ports Natural Park, according to Catalan countryside officials.
On Tuesday, July 8, a stay-at-home order was issued for roughly 18,000 residents as flames neared residential areas. By Wednesday, the restriction was lifted for most villages, though the municipality of Pauls remains under partial lockdown. Residents there are allowed outdoors but are not yet permitted to leave the area, the Catalan civil protection agency confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).
Catalonia’s fire service reported that the fire has now been “stabilised.” Firefighters, supported by helicopters and aircraft, continue to battle hotspots in steep and remote terrain.
The blaze comes after weeks of extreme heat across Spain. The national weather agency, AEMET, recently declared June the hottest month on record. Scientists link the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires to climate change, which is driving longer, more severe heatwaves.
Spain has seen a rise in destructive wildfires in recent years. In 2022, around 500 fires burned more than 300,000 hectares—Europe’s highest total that year. So far in 2025, approximately 21,000 hectares have already been lost to fire.
