HUGE fire spreads across the French border and threatens the town of Portbou in Girona

The town of Portbou in Girona is under threat from a huge fire that spread across the border from the French Pyrenees.

A huge forest fire that broke out in the French Pyrenees around midday this Sunday, April 16, has since crossed over into Spanish territory. Fed by strong gusts of wind, the flames spread across the border near the municipality of Portbou in Girona.

Els flancs de #IFCatalunyaNord avancen més lentament i el cap de l'incendi l'estem frenant a la zona del pantà de Portbou. Treballem amb foc tècnic i eines manuals per aconseguir tancar el perímetre.

📹 Imatges #EEI #bomberscat de les tasques d'extinció. pic.twitter.com/QTFwJNXZrA

— Bombers (@bomberscat) April 16, 2023

The Generalitat Fire Brigade deployed crews to assist the French Pompiers as they battled to contain the blaze. At least 39 ground crews are currently engaged on Spanish soil in the fight to stop the massive fire from spreading in the Puig de la Farella area.

Aerial resources that had been dispatched had to return to their base because the high winds made it impossible for the two aircraft to operate.

As a result of the fire’s intensity, Civil Protection initiated the highest alert level of the INFOCAT plan. This resulted in rail traffic from France into the affected region of Girona being suspended.

Civil Protection reported that the circulation of medium-distance trains running on the R11 line that connects Portbou and France has been cut in both directions and there is no visible ‘forecast of restoration’.

Imatges aèries de #IFCatalunyaNord, cremant ara mateix al terme municipal de Portbou. Hi ha 43 dotacions terrestres i un helicòpter #bomberscat pic.twitter.com/R7boRMnpWC

— Bombers (@bomberscat) April 16, 2023

The Servei Català de Trànsit closed the National-260 road on the border of Portbou in a northerly direction. It reported that, on the French side, the RD-914 was also cut between the French municipalities of Cervera de la Marenda and Banyuls.

Several isolated farmhouses and apartments in the town of Portbou were evicted as a precautionary measure this afternoon by the Mossos in the face of the rapid advance of the forest fire.

Sources from the Fire Department reported that the eviction of properties was carried out in the La Muntanya neighbourhood, but the total number of people affected was unknown to date.

Residents have been urged on social media networks by Mossos to: “for your safety, follow the instructions of the emergency bodies”, Members of the Catalan police are also controlling road access to secure the evacuated area.

Portbou is reportedly surrounded on two fronts by the flames according to its Town Hall officials, where a help point has been set up.

Trino Martínez, the Councilor for Health, Well-being, and the Environment of Portbou, indicated that the lack of fire hydrants is a major concern. He pointed out that the nearest one was: “about two kilometres in a straight line” from the centre of the municipality, as reported by 20minutos.es.