El Saler fire out after 13 days: 37 hectares burned

Today's essentials (3 key points)

• Valencia's fire service has confirmed that the blaze in the Devesa de El Saler is completely out, nearly two weeks after it began on 27 August 2026.
• The Port of Alicante handled 2,227,489 tonnes of goods in the first eight months of 2026, a 23% rise on the same period a year earlier, per Noticias CV.
• The Museu de la Mar reopens on 15 September 2026 with free guided tours of the historic Casa dels Bous, as reported by Valencia Bonita.

Today's essentials

El Saler fire out after 13 days: 37 hectares burned. Valencia's fire service declared the El Saler forest fire fully extinguished on Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 15:00, 13 days after it started in the Devesa de El Saler inside the Albufera Natural Park, with a final toll of around 37 hectares burned.

The figure is the one retained by most outlets, including the source headline from Noticias CV, El Periódico de Aquí and Actualidad Valencia. It is worth noting that an earlier assessment published by Valencia Plaza on 29 August put the burned area slightly lower, at 36 hectares, so the exact surface still carries a small margin of uncertainty depending on the source.

The fire broke out at around 13:00 on 27 August 2026. A sudden shift in wind direction complicated the response and pushed the authorities to activate level 2 of the regional forest fire plan (PEIF) at 16:42, according to El Debate. Valencia city hall's provisional count that first day spoke of roughly 48 hectares affected and more than 120 people evacuated, before the blaze was stabilised on 28 August and declared under control on 29 August, per Valencia Plaza.

At the peak of the operation, up to 270 professionals were mobilised alongside 12 aerial units, 40 ground units and a platoon from the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), Actualidad Valencia reports. The same outlet puts the total number of evacuees across the episode at about 160, a higher figure than the initial count, covering El Saler residents, campers from neighbouring sites and the occupants of apartment tower 1.

The cause is not settled. The Guardia Civil's nature protection service (SEPRONA) is said to be keeping open lines of inquiry into a possible intentional origin, which has not been formally confirmed, according to Valencia Plaza and Actualidad Valencia. Valencia's mayor, María José Catalá, has pledged that the city will go to the last corner to establish what happened and called for those responsible to face justice.

What this changes for you: El Saler beach, the Devesa and the wider Albufera park are open again now that the closures have been lifted, so a visit south of the city is possible once more. If you go, keep in mind that the investigation into how the fire started remains open with no set date for a conclusion, according to Valencia Plaza.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : The pedanía of El Saler, the Devesa de El Saler and the surrounding Albufera Natural Park, within the municipality of Valencia.
• Roads closed or diverted : During the first weekend of the fire, the CV-500 was reserved for residents and camping users only, according to Valencia Plaza.
• Official instructions : Around 160 people were evacuated over the whole episode, including El Saler residents, campers at nearby sites and occupants of apartment tower 1; the beach and the natural park stayed closed for two extra days after the fire, per Actualidad Valencia and Valencia Plaza.
• Air quality : not reported at this time
• Official numbers & channels : not reported at this time
• Last updated : Around 15:00 on Wednesday 9 September 2026, when the extinction was declared.

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Open-Meteo forecasts light rain in Valencia today, with temperatures between 23 and 30 degrees and winds of up to 9 km/h, so keep a light layer and a compact umbrella handy.

Transport & traffic

• Port of Alicante freight up 23%. The Port of Alicante moved 2,227,489 tonnes of goods over the first eight months of 2026, a 23% increase on the same period last year, according to Noticias CV. For anyone whose work or shopping depends on imports, a busier Alicante port points to steadier flows of goods through the southern Comunitat, easing pressure on Valencia's own facilities and reinforcing Alicante as a second gateway for the region's trade.
• CV-401 to get a bike and pedestrian lane. The Diputació de València has tendered 1.4 million euros of works to widen and modernise the CV-401 between Alfafar and El Saler, adding a combined cycle and pedestrian lane plus solar-powered lighting, according to Valencia Extra. The road carries about 10,000 vehicles a day, so the upgrade matters to a lot of daily commuters between the southern metropolitan area and the coast. Once the works are done, cyclists and walkers heading towards El Saler and the Albufera should have a safer, better-lit route rather than sharing the asphalt with heavy traffic, though drivers should expect roadworks and possible disruption while the project runs.

What's changing for you

• 6.4 million euros for disability autonomy support. Valencia Extra also reports that the Generalitat is putting more than 1.09 million euros a year into the Pepe Alba residence and earmarking 6.4 million euros to promote the autonomy of people with disabilities across the Comunitat. If you or a family member lives with a disability, this is funding aimed at day-to-day support services rather than a one-off payment, with regional minister Albalat framing these supports as the key to living independently. It is worth checking with your local social services or the run centres such as CODIFIVA to see which programmes you may be entitled to.
• Health strike behind the Estatuto Marco row. Regional health minister Marciano Gómez has branded the national Estatuto Marco condemned to failure, in a dispute that underpins a strike affecting healthcare for the region's 5.5 million residents, Levante-EMV reports. In practical terms, industrial action tied to this standoff can mean disruption at health centres and hospitals, so if you have an appointment in the coming days it is worth confirming it is going ahead and allowing extra time. Gómez's own point is that, while the strike targets the national minister, it is patients across the Comunitat who feel the consequences.

Local news to know

• Up to 33.2 litres per square metre on Wednesday. The heaviest rain in the Valencia area on Wednesday reached 33.2 litres per square metre, with the Comunitat Valenciana placed under an orange warning for showers, storms and hail in its southern half, according to Las Provincias.
• Museu de la Mar reopens on 15 September. The Museu de la Mar de Valencia opens on 15 September 2026 with free activities and guided tours of the Casa dels Bous, closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00, per Valencia Bonita.
• Campanar turns into an open-air cultural hub. On 12 and 13 September 2026, the Campanar neighbourhood becomes a large open cultural space mixing literature, music, art, gastronomy and local life, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Court backs the Port of València expansion. The regional high court (TSJ) has rejected the criterion of its own court-appointed expert and validated the Port of València's arguments for its major northern expansion, ruling that the changes do not amount to a new project, elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana reports.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Eduardo Bernabéu at the Museo de la Seda. The Museo de la Seda in Valencia has opened an exhibition devoted to the Ontinyent businessman Eduardo Bernabéu and the role of research in the textile industry, which you can now visit, per Levante-EMV.
• Centre del Carme closes its sculptors show. The Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània wraps up its exhibition '34 Ilustres escultores x 34 Ilustrados' by bringing the illustration sector together on 10 September and publishing a book on artistic modernity, according to Valencia News.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow