18 wildfires still burn in Spain, but none near Valencia

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Spain was still fighting 18 major wildfires on 21 August 2026, all of them in Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura rather than in the Valencia region.
• A violent storm episode brought more than 80 litres of rain per square metre and gusts of almost 150 km/h to the province of Valencia, keeping firefighters busy with around 120 callouts.
• Wizz Air will launch a new flight from Valencia's Manises airport to what Las Provincias calls Europe's cheapest capital, starting in December 2026.
• The Generalitat Valenciana has reopened the Bono Alquiler Joven, offering renters aged 35 or under up to 6,000 euros, or 250 euros a month over two years.
• Ontinyent brings back its 100-metre street water slide this weekend as part of the town's summer fiestas.

Today's essentials

18 wildfires still burn in Spain, but none near Valencia. As of 21 August 2026, Spain still had 18 major wildfires burning, concentrated in Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura and not in the Valencia region, according to Democrata.es, while the late-July fires that forced evacuations around Madrid and the province of Castellón have since been brought under control.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : The fires still active on 21 August 2026 affect Hervás and isolated homes at Jerte, Navaconcejo, Tornavacas and Cabezuela del Valle in Extremadura, with the wider wave centred on Castilla y León and Galicia (Democrata.es); the Valencia region is not among the affected areas.
• Roads closed or diverted : not available at this time
• Official instructions : Evacuations remained in force around Hervás and for scattered homes in the Jerte valley, with authorities expecting an improvement (lower temperatures, higher humidity) that could allow residents to return, according to Democrata.es.
• Air quality : not available at this time
• Official numbers & channels : Emergencies: 112; Emergencias Generalitat Valenciana and the official Generalitat channels for any local incident.
• Last updated : As of 21 August 2026, according to Democrata.es.

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

A calmer day in Valencia city. Valencia has a partly cloudy day with highs around 28°C, lows near 24°C and wind up to 16 km/h, according to Open-Meteo.

Transport & traffic

• New Wizz Air route from December. Wizz Air, according to Las Provincias, will open a new route from Valencia's Manises airport to what the paper calls Europe's cheapest capital, with flights starting in December 2026. For anyone based in Valencia, it adds a fresh low-cost option out of Manises for winter city breaks and cheap weekend getaways, and it deepens the airport's short-haul network. As with all budget carriers, the headline fares tend to go fast and rise closer to departure, so it is worth watching Wizz Air's booking page from launch if a December trip is on your list.
• Storms lash the province with 150 km/h gusts. elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana reports that storms dumped more than 80 litres of rain per square metre and brought wind gusts of almost 150 km/h across the province of Valencia. The Consorcio Provincial de Valencia fire service handled around 120 wind-related callouts, mostly in the Ribera area, where fallen trees and damaged structures were reported. If you are driving through inland Valencia in the coming hours, expect debris on minor roads and reduced lanes in the worst-hit spots, and give extra room to weakened trees and loose signage.

What's changing for you

• Youth rental aid worth up to 6,000 euros. According to Valencia Bonita, the Generalitat Valenciana has opened the 2026 Bono Alquiler Joven, a rental subsidy worth up to 6,000 euros per person for tenants aged 35 or under living in the Comunitat Valenciana. If you are under 36 and renting here, this is money worth chasing: check whether your age, income and rental contract meet the conditions, and start gathering your paperwork now, because these calls typically run on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget is used up.
• 250 euros a month for two years: how to apply. The same 2026 Bono Alquiler Joven pays up to 250 euros a month for two years, and the deadlines, requirements and application steps have been laid out by Valencia Secreta. In practice that is where the 6,000-euro figure comes from (250 euros over 24 months). Applications go through the Generalitat's official channels, so have your rental contract and personal documents ready and submit before the window closes rather than leaving it to the last day.

Local news to know

• A 'dantesque' night at 39°C. Noticias CV describes a 'dantesque' night at 39°C in Valencia after a day that reached 45°C, with several municipalities where sleep was near impossible during an extreme poniente (hot west wind) episode on Wednesday 19 August 2026.
• AEMET's orange storm alert brings hail. Valencia Secreta reports that AEMET switched the province of Valencia to an orange storm alert as the heatwave broke, flagging hail and wind gusts of 80 km/h.
• Orquesta Panorama plays Sunday 23 August. According to Las Provincias, the Orquesta Panorama performs this Sunday 23 August in a Comunitat Valenciana town that the United Nations has ranked among its best tourism destinations.
• 'La odisea' sets a box-office record. Valencia Plaza reports that 'La odisea' has become the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, overtaking 'Deadpool & Wolverine'.

Things to do today

• Ontinyent's 100-metre water slide is back. Valencia Bonita reports that Ontinyent turns one of its streets into a giant 100-metre water slide again this weekend as part of its fiestas. It runs this weekend in Ontinyent (Vall d'Albaida) as free, family-friendly street fun, and it returns in 2026 with a new twist on last summer's version.