The plenary session of Consell approved the plan to coordinate recovery efforts for the affected areas after this month’s fires across several municipalities in the Valencian Community, notably in Vall d’Ebo and Bejís (Castellón). The plan allocates a 30‑day window for submitting damage estimates to infrastructure and public property, as well as losses to the real or personal property of individuals or entities not covered by insurance. An offices network will be established to guide both businesses and residents. Within a month, it will be possible to produce an initial assessment of fire losses, enabling the Generalitat to determine the level of compensation. The administration’s action does not end there; a comprehensive revitalization plan will be presented soon, mirroring the approach used in Vega Baja after the 2019 DANA event to support socio‑economic recovery in the affected zones.
Two weeks after the initial fires were reported, the Vall d’Ebo fire alone burned around 12,000 hectares. Under the leadership of Ximo Puig, the Consell and more specifically the vice president and spokesperson announced a roadmap to address the rescue and recovery of the affected areas—these fires mark the most severe in the last decade across Bejís, Vall d’Ebo, Les Useres, Petrer, Olocau, and other municipalities impacted by the crisis. Once the coordination decree is approved, a one‑month countdown begins for consulates to provide damage estimates for infrastructure, public property, and agricultural facilities or other sectors not linked to forestry. Damages to movable and immovable property of individuals or entities not insured, and extraordinary expenditures connected to the forest fire, including relevant documentation, will be addressed as appropriate.
How and when can help be sought for those affected by the fires in Alicante province?
Several municipalities in the Vall d’Ebo area—Vall d’Alcalà, L’Atzúbia, Balones, Benimassot, Castell de Castells, Fageca, Famorca, Orba, Pego, Planes, Tollos, Tormos, Vall d’Ebo, Vall de Gallinera, and Vall de Laguar—are among those affected. Petrer also faced a major fire that destroyed nearly 100 hectares. The Valencian Department of Security and Emergency Response, part of the Ministry of Justice, Interior and Public Administration, will coordinate actions across Consell and other public administrations to restore normalcy across all affected zones as quickly as possible. Local companies’ applications will be reviewed by the Emergency Single Office, which will prepare an economic forecast to be submitted to the Interdepartmental Commission for Consell approval. The measures can be implemented through direct investment or direct concession channels, and technicians tasked with advisory roles will visit municipalities to assist in the process.
A Consell spokesperson noted that the total economic package remains undetermined until a broader damage assessment is finalized. Given that not many homes or industries were hit in this environmental crisis, the expected aid may be smaller than the levels seen after the 2019 DANA. Reports indicate that 12,150 hectares burned in Vall d’Ebo include more than 3,000 hectares of crops—primarily olive, cherry, and almond orchards—where recovery will take years, even with replanting. Losses are estimated around €193 million, plus the destruction of roughly 10,000 beehives and various damaged infrastructures. The Generalitat’s aid will be added to central government support once the disaster area is officially declared.
In addition to these measures, the Generalitat will coordinate with the central government to channel further assistance into the affected regions after designation of the disaster area.
Comprehensive plan for reactivation
The Consell outlined plans to develop a comprehensive socio‑economic revitalization strategy for the affected zones, considering ongoing depopulation trends. The plan will be crafted in coordination with local institutions and organizations and will include direct municipal aid, subsidized fiscal mechanisms, or extraordinary employment initiatives. It will also commission analyses to quantify fire and forest damage and to guide environmental restoration across the burned municipalities, with an emphasis on sustaining long‑term community resilience. [Cited: Valencian Generalidad]