The Generalitat has ordered the closure of Les Gavarres after a fast-moving wildfire burned around 2,400 hectares on Friday 4 July, according to the Catalan government's Department of the Interior. President Salvador Illa said the whole massif could burn "in the worst-case scenario", while emergency services continued working under Level 4 of the Infocat wildfire emergency plan.

For residents, drivers, hikers and rural business owners, the immediate consequence is clear: access to the natural area is shut, restrictions may change quickly, and official instructions should be checked before travelling. Bombers de Catalunya, the Catalan fire service, said the fire perimeter was affecting a large forest area around Les Gavarres in Girona province.

"En el peor de los escenarios" podría arder entero, Salvador Illa said when announcing the closure of Les Gavarres.

Closure affects access to Les Gavarres and nearby movement

The closure was announced by the Generalitat as firefighting operations continued and authorities sought to reduce risk to the public. Les Gavarres is a large protected natural area spanning parts of Baix Empordà and Gironès, frequently used by walkers, cyclists and visitors in summer.

Agents Rurals, the regional rural officers responsible for environmental enforcement, activated Level 4 of Infocat. Infocat is Catalonia's special emergency plan for forest fires, used when a wildfire creates serious operational or public safety risks.

  • Area affected: about 2,300 to 2,400 hectares, according to Bombers and the Department of the Interior
  • Date: Friday 4 July 2026
  • Status: Les Gavarres closed by the Generalitat
  • Emergency level: Level 4 of the Infocat wildfire plan

People planning walks, rural stays or road trips in the massif should use official Generalitat and civil protection channels for the latest restrictions. Readers can also review this publication's Editorial Policy and Source Transparency pages for how official claims are checked.

What officials say about the scale of the wildfire

The Department of the Interior's official fire balance put the affected area at 2,400 hectares. Bombers de Catalunya published an operational summary giving a similar estimate, in a range of 2,300 to 2,400 hectares.

Copernicus Emergency Management Service, the European Union's satellite-based crisis mapping system, also activated emergency mapping for the Les Gavarres wildfire. That mapping is used to support emergency coordination, but on-the-ground figures can still change as the perimeter is checked.

Authorities have not treated the total burned area as final while operations continue. In active wildfires, burned-hectare estimates are often revised as aerial imagery and field verification improve.

The official balance from the Department of the Interior states that 2,400 hectares have been affected by the Les Gavarres fire.

What local residents and visitors should do next

Anyone living near the affected zone should follow instructions from Protecció Civil, the Catalan civil protection service, and local councils. Visitors should not enter closed forest tracks, recreation areas or trails inside Les Gavarres while the closure remains in force.

  • Do not travel into Les Gavarres unless authorities say access has reopened
  • Check Generalitat, Bombers and Protecció Civil updates before setting out
  • Respect any road controls, closures or confinement orders issued locally
  • Contact your accommodation provider if you had a booking in or near the massif

The Consorci de les Gavarres, which coordinates management and wildfire prevention work in the massif, had already held its annual pre-season fire coordination meeting in May. The area's prevention plans are set out by the Generalitat and the consortium, but officials are now focused on emergency response and public safety.

Residents who need updated local instructions should monitor official municipal channels and Generalitat notices. For general queries about this publication, readers can use our Contact Us page.

Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament d'Interior, Bombers de Catalunya (Generalitat de Catalunya), Agents Rurals - Departament d'Interior, Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia), Generalitat de Catalunya - Departament d'Agricultura. Reported by Source Text Link, 3Cat (Catalan Public Media - Official Government Channel), Consorci de les Gavarres, Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS), La Vanguardia.