Electricity network adapted during high fire risk
Endesa, through its distribution subsidiary e-distribució, manages over 100,425 kilometres of electricity lines across Catalonia, more than half of which pass through valleys, farmland and forests. This extensive network requires close coordination with the regional rural agents, especially in areas like Lleida (77% aerial lines), Central Catalonia (72%), Girona (65%) and Tarragona (60.5%), where the risk of forest fires is heightened. When meteorological conditions are stable, the electricity grid operates with automated systems that briefly disconnect lines if interference occurs, such as a plastic bag contacting a wire, then automatically reconnect within seconds, often without customers noticing. However, when forest fire risk rises to levels 2, 3 or 4 under the Pla Alfa system, Endesa implements a long-standing protocol established with the Generalitat. The most critical measure is the temporary suspension of automatic reconnection on all power lines within the affected perimeter.
Daily monitoring and manual inspections
Each day, Endesa technicians review the fire risk map produced by the Agents Rurals to adjust grid operations line by line and comarca by comarca. If a disconnection occurs while the Pla Alfa is active, the control centre must first coordinate with the Agents Rurals to check for any reported fires. If no incident is confirmed, field workers are dispatched to inspect the affected section on foot, checking every segment of the overhead line. This manual inspection ensures any potential hazard is ruled out before reconnection. Even if no fault is found, the protocol requires a preventive delay of two to three hours before manually restoring power. This waiting period is designed to protect the natural environment under extreme conditions.
The 70% of our electrical infrastructure that crosses forested areas obliges us to act with the utmost responsibility,
, Francesc Alemany, Endesa’s distribution network director in Catalonia, as reported by Endesa.
Rising activity reflects increasing climate pressure
The frequency of fire risk alerts has led to a sharp rise in preventive actions. From January to July 2026, Endesa’s control centre carried out 87,648 operations linked to the Pla Alfa, already 92% of the total 95,328 operations recorded for the entire year of 2025. Specific infrastructure interventions rose to 487 in the first seven months of 2026, a 43% increase compared to the 339 carried out in all of 2025. July 2026 alone saw 333 such actions, up 205% from the 109 recorded in July 2025. By 31 July 2026, Catalonia had already experienced 94 days with some level of Pla Alfa activation, amounting to 72% of the 130 days recorded for the whole of 2025. These figures underscore a shift in operational demands driven by climate change, with Endesa and the Agents Rurals reinforcing joint efforts to prevent fires sparked by electrical infrastructure. The partnership, now in its tenth year, has been credited with reducing fires caused by power lines.
We are complying strictly with this agreement on both sides and it works: the number of fires caused by power lines has decreased and effective collaboration has been achieved,
, Elisenda Pérez Esteve, Director General of the Agents Rurals, as stated in a joint press release by the Generalitat and Endesa. Residents should be aware that longer power outages during high-risk periods are not due to technical failure, but to deliberate safety protocols. The aim is clear: to protect Catalonia’s natural environment.
Primary sources: govern.cat, interior.gencat.cat, ${rpb.dspace.name}. Reported by elperiodico.cat, endesa.com, Alba León, segre.com, Maria Lorenzo Miró, 3CatInfo, internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com, landgest, El Periódico, preventionweb.net, El Periódico (CA).
