Almost 1,000 people return home six days after Espadán fire

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Nearly 1,000 residents of six Castellón villages were cleared to return home on Thursday 30 July, six days after the Sierra de Espadán wildfire began.
• Valencia city faces a warm, partly cloudy day between 22 and 31 degrees with light winds, according to Open-Meteo.
• The Diputació de València will spend almost one million euros to widen a 4.5-metre bridge on the CV-560 in Càrcer, closing that road to traffic for two months.
• The Bank of England held its benchmark interest rate steady on Thursday, following the US Federal Reserve, according to Valencia Plaza.
• Two Valencia restaurants, Miracle and Somni, were ranked among Spain's ten best gluten-free venues for 2026, according to Valencia Bonita.

Today's essentials

Almost 1,000 people return home six days after Espadán fire. Nearly 1,000 residents of six villages in the Sierra de Espadán were allowed back into their homes at 10:30 on Thursday 30 July 2026, six days after a major wildfire forced their evacuation, according to À Punt Media.

The six municipalities cleared to return are Fuentes de Ayódar, Ayódar, Torralba del Pinar, Villamalur, Azuébar and Almedíjar, a decision À Punt Media links to a favourable turn in the fire's behaviour. In Azuébar, a village of roughly 350 people, residents described a hard week: one told the broadcaster it had been a grim few days, while another said they were exhausted and just wanted to go home and start cleaning up.

The blaze broke out on Saturday 25 July 2026 near the Vall d'Uixó, in the Sierra de Espadán natural park in Castellón province. At its height, according to eldiario.es, 18 municipalities were evacuated and more than 16,000 residents were affected, including around 1,000 people from the Texas neighbourhood of the Vall d'Uixó who were moved out as a precaution, while the town of Betxí was confined.

The response was heavy. By 26 July, eldiario.es reported more than 300 personnel on the ground, 14 aircraft, 65 troops from the military emergencies unit (UME) and several fire brigades, with the fire then classed as beyond extinction capacity and a perimeter of about 21 kilometres. Six people were treated, one of them hospitalised in the burns unit of Valencia's La Fe hospital and three others for smoke inhalation.

The emergency is not fully over. Chóvar was still under evacuation on 30 July, the only municipality yet to be cleared, while the Nova Onda urbanisation lifted its precautionary confinement the same day and Algimia de Almonacid was in the end not evacuated at all.

What this means for you: if you had plans in inland Castellón or the Sierra de Espadán, from hiking to a rural stay, check that access has actually reopened before setting off, because Chóvar residents are still displaced and conditions can change quickly. For road and access updates, rely on official channels (112, Emergencies GVA and À Punt) rather than social media. According to À Punt Media, the return of Chóvar's residents is the next step to watch in the coming days.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : Six municipalities were cleared to return on Thursday 30 July 2026: Fuentes de Ayódar, Ayódar, Torralba del Pinar, Villamalur, Azuébar and Almedíjar. Chóvar remained evacuated. At the peak of the crisis, according to eldiario.es, 18 municipalities were evacuated, among them La Vilavella, Artana, Eslida, Artesa, Alfondeguilla, Tales, Aín, Alcúdia de Veo, Chóvar and Suera, plus the Texas neighbourhood of the Vall d'Uixó, while Betxí was confined as a precaution.
• Roads closed or diverted : Not reported at this time for the fire zone.
• Official instructions : Evacuation orders were lifted for six municipalities at 10:30 on Thursday 30 July 2026, while Chóvar stayed under evacuation. The Nova Onda urbanisation in the Plana Baixa lifted its precautionary confinement the same day, and Algimia de Almonacid was ultimately not evacuated, according to À Punt Media.
• Air quality : No official air-quality index was reported. According to eldiario.es, three people were treated for smoke inhalation and one person was hospitalised in the burns unit of Valencia's La Fe hospital.
• Official numbers & channels : Emergency line 112 and Emergencies GVA, coordinated through the Generalitat's Emergency Coordination Centre (CCE); À Punt Media for official updates.
• Last updated : Around 10:30 on Thursday 30 July 2026, the time the six municipalities were cleared to return, per À Punt Media.

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Warm and partly cloudy in Valencia today. Valencia city has a partly cloudy day between 22 and 31 degrees with winds up to 16 km/h, according to Open-Meteo, so keep water and shade handy in the hottest hours.

Transport & traffic

• Metro arrival screens still dark in many stations. A rider complained on the r/valencia forum that the next-train displays are out of order in most metro stations even as ticket prices rise. The poster questioned paying more for a 10-trip ticket, quoting figures of roughly 5.30 rising to 6.50 euros from their own memory (they admitted they were unsure), while the screens meant to show waiting times stay blank at many stops. These are one rider's claims rather than an official statement, so treat the exact fares with caution, but the broken-display gripe is a recurring one: until the panels are fixed, the most reliable way to check when your train is due is the transport operator's own app rather than the platform screens.
• Almost one million euros to widen a Càrcer bridge. The Diputació de València will invest close to one million euros to widen a 4.5-metre bridge over the Sellent river on the CV-560 in Càrcer, currently too narrow for two cars to cross at once, according to Valencia Extra. The works will add two lanes and pavements to the structure, but they come at a cost for drivers: Valencia Extra reports that traffic on the CV-560 will be cut for two months during the project. Anyone driving inland through Càrcer, in La Ribera Alta, should plan an alternative route for the duration of the closure.

What's changing for you

• Bank of England holds interest rates steady. The Bank of England kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday, mirroring the US Federal Reserve, Valencia Plaza reports. For British residents in Valencia, the practical takeaway is simple: if you hold a UK mortgage, savings or a pension in pounds, your borrowing and saving rates are not moving for now. It is still worth keeping an eye on the pound-to-euro exchange rate, which is what most directly affects money you transfer over to spend here.

Local news to know

• Actor Manolo Solo dies at 62. Spanish actor Manolo Solo has died at the age of 62, Valencia Plaza reports.
• Two Valencia restaurants among Spain's best gluten-free. Two Valencia restaurants, Miracle and Somni, feature among Spain's ten best gluten-free venues for 2026, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Fontanars dels Alforins turns 100 as a municipality. Fontanars dels Alforins is marking its centenary as a municipality and has asked the Diputació de València to join the celebrations, with nearly one million euros in investments still pending, Valencia Extra reports.
• A weekend guide from Valencia Secreta. Valencia Secreta has published its pick of the best things to do in Valencia this weekend.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Valencia opens August with a packed programme. Valencia rolls into August with a full slate of events from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August 2026, across the city and the wider region, according to Valencia Bonita.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow