The Petrer Wildfire Near Sierra del Caballo: Causes, Response, and Community Impact
After a fire swept through a 100 hectare mountainside in Petrer and was brought under control at dawn, investigators from the Civil Guard began analyzing the origin of the blaze. Authorities are currently examining the possibility that a barbecue at a country house caused the fire. Fire brigade sources confirmed that flames from a country house in the Puça area quickly escalated once all aircraft in the Vall d’Ebo incident were deployed and cleared from the skies.
Agents from the Civil Guard Nature Conservation Service, Seprona, opened an inquiry whose findings will be presented to the judicial authority. It should be noted that the Generalitat had declared the maximum level for Valenciana Emergencies in response to the situation, reflecting the heightened risk of forest fires in the region.
A wildfire was officially declared at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday in the Puça area near Petrer. Firefighters from Elda Regional Park and aerial support attempted to suppress the flames before they threatened the Sierra del Caballo within the Protected Landscape of Sierra del Cid and El Maigmó. By 8:00 p.m., the fire had stabilized and was considered controlled after about 24 hours, having scorched a 100 hectare area.
At present, the blaze continues to burn through rugged terrain covered with scrub and pine on the southern slope. On the northern side, the Alto de Cardenas area features dense vegetation that could pose a significant danger if flames advance toward the forested core of the L’Avaiol natural enclave, where the Diputación de Alicante maintains a recreation area and scattered cottages.
The fire near the cottages of the Sierra del Caballo has drawn attention from residents and authorities alike. METEOVINALOPO [citation].
Local Police advised chalet and cottage owners near the fire line to be prepared for firefighting operations and possible preventive evacuations. An evacuation that began in Caprala municipal area affected about a dozen people, marking a rare escalation in local emergency procedures.
The initial moments of the fire in the Puça de Petrer area were captured as a large smoke column visible from Villena, more than ten kilometers away, with wind conditions helping spread the flames. In the early phase, two command and leadership units joined the operation, along with two heavy rural pumps and two forest firefighting units equipped with water-carrying trucks. Aerial support included an Alpha 0 helicopter and two seaplanes.
As the intensity rose around five thirty in the afternoon, authorities mobilized four aircraft to assist the fire suppression efforts. Fire crews from the Comtat and Marina Alta regions joined the Petrer fight, and volunteers from ACIF Salinas contributed with two crews and two light vehicles to support the operation.
By late June a previous forest fire had consumed a hectare of pine and brush in Petrer, marking the first recorded forest loss of the summer in the Alto and Medio Vinalopó districts. Firefighters received the initial alert at 8:37 p.m. for a blaze near the Figuralet natural area adjacent to the Rambla de Puça. A corporal and four firefighters from Parque de Villena joined the missions, reinforced by a command unit, a heavy rural pump, two forest firefighting units with two fire trucks, and two aircraft loaded with water. By 10:20 p.m., the forest fire was declared extinguished, though the site remained under preventive sealing to prevent any resurgence. The aircraft operations proved decisive in the early minutes to curb the spread of flames.
In the Wednesday incident, firefighting teams continued their efforts into the evening with activities continuing after dusk, although aerial units began to withdraw once darkness settled. The fire had not yet been completely contained at that point. METEOVINALOPO [citation].
Citizens from Petrer and nearby Elda rallied around the firefighting teams, with local groups and associations offering support for the crews and volunteers who were actively working to protect the Sierra del Caballo. The Petrer deputy mayor emphasized that there was no property damage and praised the professional performance of the public fire services and forest firefighters. He specifically highlighted the decisive work of the Vinalopó Operational Area and thanked the personnel on the ground and in leadership roles who played critical roles in controlling the incident [citation].