July's Soneja fire burned 183 hectares, out after six days

Today's essentials (4 key points)

• Renting a home in the Valencia region has become fiercely competitive, with more than 100 tenants vying for each available flat and 14% of properties let within 24 hours, according to elDiario.es.
• AEMET placed Valencia and Castellón under an orange warning on Saturday for locally strong afternoon storms, with heat-index readings reaching up to 46°C beforehand, as reported by Las Provincias.
• Valencia is set to gain a new direct air link with a European capital billed as the continent's greenest by late 2026, according to Valencia Secreta.
• Mercadona will open around 320 of its stores in tourist areas on Sunday 16 August under its special summer schedule, per Valencia Extra.

Today's essentials

July's Soneja fire burned 183 hectares, out after six days. The Soneja wildfire in Castellón province, which burned more than 183 hectares and forced 500 people to evacuate in early July, was declared fully extinguished on 11 July 2026 after six days of activity, according to Castellón Plaza and Castellón Diario. This is a look back at a July episode, not a live emergency today.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : Soneja, in Castellón province, was where the blaze started. Libertad Digital reported that 500 residents of Soneja were evacuated, while El Español, El Debate and Infobae later referred to residents of Azuébar; 55 evacuees spent the night of 5 to 6 July at the Segorbe seminary. A separate fire at Castellfort in the same area was put out on 5 July.
• Roads closed or diverted : The port of Sagunto was closed on 5 July as the fire worsened; the roads that had been cut reopened on 7 July, according to El Español, El Debate and Infobae.
• Official instructions : The Generalitat Valenciana activated Situation 2 of the PEIF wildfire plan; the preventive evacuation of 500 people was lifted on 7 July when residents returned home. The fire was declared stabilised on 6 July and fully out on 11 July.
• Air quality : Not available at this time.
• Official numbers & channels : Not available at this time.
• Last updated : Fully extinguished on Saturday 11 July 2026 at 20:25, according to Castellón Plaza and Castellón Diario.

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Valencia has overcast skies today with temperatures between 25 and 32°C and wind up to 14 km/h, Open-Meteo reports; with the heat noticeable, keep water within reach and seek shade during the hottest hours.

Transport & traffic

• Eclipse traffic plan shut streets on 12 August. Valencia city council rolled out a special traffic plan for the total solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August, bringing significant restrictions and road closures at several points in the city, according to Valencia Secreta. The measure was tied to the crowds drawn by the eclipse, with access cut at various points across the city. Normal circulation has since resumed, but it is a useful reminder that Valencia now activates these one-off traffic devices for big draws, so it is worth checking the council's channels before the next major event.
• New direct flight to Valencia lands late 2026. A new direct air route will connect Valencia with a European capital dubbed 'the greenest in Europe' by the end of 2026, per Valencia Secreta. Valencia's tourism boom keeps adding connections, and the source frames the new link as another sign of steadily rising visitor traffic. For residents, more direct routes mean easier weekend trips abroad and, most likely, busier terminals at Valencia Airport, so build in extra time at peak periods once the service opens.

What's changing for you

• Over 100 tenants chase every rental flat. If you are flat-hunting in the Valencia region, brace for a scramble: more than 100 tenants now compete for each rental home, and 14% are let in under 24 hours, according to elDiario.es. Have your paperwork ready before you even view a place: NIE, recent payslips or proof of income, and a deposit you can transfer on the spot. In a market where roughly one flat in seven is gone within a day, the tenants who win are the ones who can commit immediately. elDiario.es also points to rising costs and a shrinking long-term rental stock, so widening your search beyond the city centre, toward the metro-connected towns of l'Horta, can make the difference.
• Reinforced local healthcare for rural Jarafuel. Rural residents around Jarafuel are getting reinforced local healthcare, with the regional health department backing the village clinic and its rural pharmacy, Valencia Extra reports. The Conselleria de Sanidad has earmarked close to 20 million euros for auxiliary clinics between 2025 and 2028, plus further aid for refurbishment and equipment in towns at risk of depopulation. If you live in, or are considering a move to, one of the region's smaller inland villages, it means basic in-person care and a pharmacy closer to home instead of a long drive to the nearest hospital.

Local news to know

• Up to 46°C heat index before Saturday's storms. Several Valencian municipalities faced heat-index readings of up to 46°C on Saturday before the afternoon storms, with Valencia and Castellón under an AEMET orange warning and Alicante on yellow, according to Las Provincias.
• AEMET forecasts strong afternoon storms. AEMET expects locally strong thunderstorms across the Comunitat Valenciana on Saturday afternoon, keeping Castellón and Valencia on orange alert and Alicante on yellow, as reported by Las Provincias.
• Ferran Torres appears in PSG colours. Valencian striker Ferran Torres has joined Paris Saint-Germain, pulling on the club's training kit for the first time this Saturday after leaving Barcelona, according to Levante-EMV and Las Provincias.
• Castielfabib earns 'Singularity' tourist status. Valencia Plaza reports the inland village of Castielfabib has been recognised as a Tourist Municipality of 'Singularity' of the Comunitat Valenciana.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Mercadona opens some stores Sunday 16 August. Mercadona will open around 320 stores in tourist areas on Sunday 16 August under its special summer calendar, according to Valencia Extra. If you run low on essentials this Sunday, check which nearby branch is on the summer list and confirm its hours before heading out, as only the tourist-zone shops are keeping the special schedule.
• Brazilian navy training ship opens free to visitors. The Brazilian Navy training ship Brasil (NE Brasil U-27) is calling at the Port of Valencia and opening to the public free of charge for two days, Valencia Bonita reports.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow