Tírig fire forces 700+ out of Catí, 684 hectares burned

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Emergency services evacuated more than 700 residents from the Castellón town of Catí on Sunday afternoon as the Tírig wildfire advanced.
• The Tírig fire had burned 684 hectares over a 19-kilometre perimeter and remained active on Monday, according to Castellón Información.
• Several towns across Valencia and Castellón can be reached by train or bus to watch the total solar eclipse on 12 August, Valencia Extra reports.
• The Generalitat has guaranteed loans for 2,718 young people to buy their first home in the first seven months of the year.
• Buñol is staging its annual fair and La Tomatina as part of its August festivities, according to Valencia Bonita.

Today's essentials

Tírig fire forces 700+ out of Catí, 684 hectares burned. Emergency services evacuated more than 700 residents from Catí, in the province of Castellón, on Sunday shortly before 5pm as the Tírig wildfire took a turn for the worse, according to COPE.

The figure includes people spending the summer in the town, which swells its usual population. COPE put the number at more than 700 evacuees, while the Levante-EMV headline cited more than 900; the gap between the two counts has not been explained, so treat the higher figure with caution until it is confirmed.

The Tírig fire broke out on Friday evening, one of four blazes that flared across Castellón the same day alongside Culla, Serra d'en Galceran and La Salzadella. COPE reported the cause as a dry storm (tormenta seca), though that explanation has not been confirmed by other outlets.

By Monday the fire had calcined 684 hectares over a 19-kilometre perimeter, with 250 personnel and 19 aircraft deployed, according to Castellón Información. It was still active at the time of that update, while the Culla and Serra d'en Galceran fires were controlled and the La Salzadella fire had been put out. Separately, a fire in the Vall d'Ebo, in the province of Alicante, forced more than 1,000 people from their homes after a storm on Saturday.

On the ground, evacuees from Catí were sent to a reception point at the municipal sports hall in Xert, reached via the CV-128 or the N-232, Castellón Información reported. The regional president, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, addressed the wave of fires across the province over the weekend.

What this means for you: if you live in or plan to travel through inland Castellón, keep away from the affected area, avoid the roads around Catí and Tírig, and rely only on 112 and the official Generalitat channels rather than social media rumours. The Tírig fire was still burning at the last available update, so the control figure and any return of Catí's evacuated residents are worth watching in the coming days, according to Castellón Información.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : Catí (evacuated) and Tírig in the province of Castellón; three other fires broke out the same Friday at Culla, Serra d'en Galceran and La Salzadella. A separate fire hit the Vall d'Ebo in the province of Alicante, where more than 1,000 people were evacuated.
• Roads closed or diverted : Evacuees from Catí were routed toward Xert along the CV-128 or the N-232, according to Castellón Información.
• Official instructions : The evacuation of Catí was ordered by emergency services on Sunday shortly before 5pm; those affected were directed to the municipal sports hall (polideportivo) in Xert.
• Air quality : Not reported at this time.
• Official numbers & channels : Emergency number 112 and the official Emergencies GVA and Generalitat Valenciana channels for verified updates.
• Last updated : Monday 10 August 2026, per the latest Castellón Información update (684 hectares burned).

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Valencia is overcast today with temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees and wind of up to 16 km/h, according to Open-Meteo.

Transport & traffic

• Watch the eclipse without a car. Several towns in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón can be reached by train or bus to watch the 12 August total solar eclipse, the first in this area in 120 years, Valencia Extra reports. That matters if you don't drive or want to skip the traffic: instead of hunting for a parking spot near a rural viewpoint, you can plan the trip around a station or bus stop and travel back with the crowds. With demand expected to be heavy for a once-in-a-lifetime event, booking ahead and checking return times before you set off will save you being stranded after dark.
• Castellón airport lands a pilot school. Castellón airport has signed a deal with the Belgian flight school Skywings to set up a pilot training centre, according to La Voz de Alzira. For travellers the immediate effect is limited, but a permanent training operation gives the region's smaller airport a steady base of activity beyond seasonal passenger flights. Over time that kind of anchor tenant is what helps a secondary airport argue for more routes and services, which is worth keeping an eye on if you fly from Castellón rather than Valencia.

What's changing for you

• Benetússer health centre recognised for elderly care. The Benetússer health centre, part of the València Doctor Peset health department, has earned national accreditation as an elderly-friendly health centre (Centro de Salud Amigable para las Personas Mayores), Valencia Plaza reports. If you or an older relative is registered there, the label points to services designed around the needs of older patients, so it's worth asking staff what that accreditation changes in practice at your next appointment.
• Home-buying guarantees for 2,718 young people. The Generalitat has backed 2,718 young people to buy their first home in the first seven months of the year, with 1,812 operations approved for more than 39 million euros, according to Valencia Extra. The scheme, run by the Institut Valencià de Finances, has already passed the totals of its entire first round. If you are a young first-time buyer in the Valencian Community, it is worth checking the IVF programme's eligibility rules and current terms before signing a mortgage, since the public guarantee can cover part of the deposit lenders usually require.

Local news to know

• València marks 750 years of Jaume I. València is celebrating the 750th anniversary of Jaume I's legacy with a cultural programme running until December at the Biblioteca Valenciana Nicolau Primitiu, Noticias CV reports.
• Free guided visits to the Torre de Piles. The Torre de Piles, a historic monument in the Safor, is opening for free guided visits throughout August, organised by Piles town council, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Nine official spots for the total eclipse. The total solar eclipse falls on Wednesday 12 August, with nine official observation points set up across Valencia and Castellón, each with limited capacity, according to Valencia Secreta.
• This weekend's best plans in Valencia. Valencia Secreta has published its round-up of the best plans in the city for this weekend.

Things to do today

• Buñol's festivities and La Tomatina. The Valencian town of Buñol is holding its traditional fair and August festivities, including La Tomatina, with the programme running through 31 August, according to Valencia Bonita. The full schedule stretches across the month, so check the official listings for exact dates and times before heading over.
• Two nights in one day. The total solar eclipse will plunge the Valencian Community into darkness for roughly a minute on 12 August, a phenomenon not seen on the peninsula for more than a century, according to Las Provincias.