Wildfire danger is at extreme levels in parts of Catalonia and very high across most of the rest of the territory, according to the Generalitat during the current heatwave. For residents, walkers and rural businesses, that can mean restrictions on activities in woodland areas and a greater risk of rapid fire spread if a blaze starts.

The official tool to check conditions is the Pla Alfa map, run by the Agents Rurals, the Generalitat's rural officers. It shows wildfire risk in real time and, where activated, the level of restrictions by municipality.

"El Govern alerta de l'elevat perill d'incendi forestal aquest cap de setmana durant l'onada de calor."

That warning was issued by the Govern de Catalunya in an official press note on the elevated fire danger during the heatwave weekend. The authorities linked the risk to record or very high temperatures and asked the public to take maximum care in forested areas.

How the Pla Alfa map works

Pla Alfa is the Generalitat's operational procedure for wildfire risk. It is managed by the Agents Rurals and sets different alert levels depending on fire danger and the expected difficulty of controlling any outbreak.

The Generalitat explains what Pla Alfa is and how each level works. The system is shown on an interactive map launched by the Agents Rurals in 2023, allowing the public to see the situation by area and municipality.

  • Level 0 means ordinary monitoring.
  • Levels 1 and 2 indicate increasing wildfire danger and closer surveillance.
  • Level 3 is the highest activation level and can bring stronger restrictions, including limits on access or activities in forest areas.

In a previous activation cited by the Generalitat, Level 3 was applied to 44 municipalities in six comarques. That gives a sense of how targeted restrictions can be when conditions worsen in specific parts of Catalonia.

Heatwave has raised the risk across Catalonia

The current warning comes as high temperatures have pushed up the fire risk across the country. The Govern said the danger would be especially high over the weekend during the heatwave, with emergency and land management services on alert.

The official 2025 wildfire campaign balance published by the Departament d'Interior details the resources and planning used this season, including prevention, surveillance and response measures. That 2025 wildfire campaign balance is one of the key source documents behind the current alert framework.

The annual prevention and extinction plan published by the Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural also sets out the wider strategy for prevention, surveillance and firefighting for the 2026 season.

What residents should check before going into forest areas

People planning rural walks, farm work, outdoor exercise or local trips should check the Pla Alfa map before setting out, especially in inland and forested comarques. Conditions can change quickly during intense heat, and restrictions may apply by municipality rather than across a whole province.

  • Check your municipality on the official Pla Alfa map.
  • Avoid any activity that could start a fire, including using machinery or lighting flames near woodland.
  • Follow notices from your Ajuntament, the local council, and Civil Protection if access restrictions are issued.

Residents in affected comarques can also monitor local instructions through their Ajuntament and the Generalitat's civil protection channels, particularly if they live near forest edges or in scattered housing developments where access rules can tighten at short notice.

Primary sources: Departament d'Interior, Govern de Catalunya, Govern de Catalunya, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública - Gencat, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública - Gencat, Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural - Gencat, Presidència de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Presidència de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Presidència de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Reported by Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat), Betevé.