Carlos Mazón, president of the Alicante Provincial Council, is set to meet with mayors affected by the La Vall d’Ebo fire on Tuesday to extend some of the support measures already put in place and to outline additional actions aimed at reducing the economic impact of the disaster. The blaze, sparked by lightning, has scorched more than 12,000 hectares across the Marina Alta and El Comtat regions, creating a broad security and economic challenge spanning a wide 100-kilometer area.
Mazón will travel to the Vall d’Ebo Town Hall for a study session accompanied by Emergency Assistant Javier Sendra for Highways, Infrastructure head Alejandro Morant, Environment head Javier Gutiérrez and Miguel Angel Sanchez, among others. José Mancebo, chair of the Provincial Tourism Board, is also expected to attend the session.
Consell pursues EU and government support to aid Vall d’Ebo after the fire
The President reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to all communities affected by the rapid spread of flames in the northern interior of the province. He underscored that the council was actively engaged from the outset, contacting mayors, assessing needs, and shaping an economic support plan for short and mid-term relief in these trying times. [Attribution: Alicante Provincial Council]
Mazón also thanked the members of the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters for their extraordinary courage and dedication in extinguishing the fire. Their efforts helped protect residents and property in the impacted zones under extremely difficult conditions.
To anticipate the needs of municipalities, Treasury deputy María Gómez briefed more than a dozen mayors from both districts on the initial set of emergency measures enabled through SUMA Tax Management. These measures are designed to help municipalities mitigate the damage caused by the disaster.
Early actions include extraordinary advances to municipal councils, postponement of installment payments, and extensions of the voluntary payment period for citizens. The first three aid operations have been launched to provide liquidity to the municipalities in distress.
José Antonio Belso, deputy treasurer and SUMA vice president, explained that these steps aim to give municipalities immediate financial resources to handle contingencies such as fire cleanups, road construction, infrastructure repairs, and water system maintenance. SUMA will increase the anticipated collection advance by 10 percent in the second voluntary period of 2022 (IBI and IAE).
Additionally, SUMA will offer another extraordinary advance covering up to 85 percent of the estimated collection for the first voluntary period of 2023 (IVTM and related fees). In light of the exceptional situation for city councils, María Gómez announced that the tax authority will accelerate the issuance of extraordinary deferrals and installments, allowing citizens to access up to 23 installments to meet tax obligations, whether paid voluntarily or through execution processes. This action will be implemented through a joint agreement with the municipalities and will be activated immediately after identifying the affected areas.
Regarding the extension of the voluntary payment period, Belso noted that SUMA, in coordination with the consortia, will offer a one-month extension to residents. This measure is designed to cushion potential social and economic impacts of the fire, including areas without directly damaged buildings.
The meeting brought together mayors and councilors from La Vall d’Ebo, Planes, Balones, L’Atzúbia, Benimassot, Castell de Castells, Fageca, Famorca, Pego, Tollos, La Vall d’Alcalà, La Vall de Laguar, and Vall de Gallinera. The group pledged to convene again with each municipality to address outstanding concerns and implement feasible solutions where possible.
The fire was brought under control on Saturday, August 13, nearly a week after it began, and the Provincial Firefighters Consortium continues to operate with relief, inspection, and surveillance activities in the area. At the height of the response, more than 350 personnel from state services, forestry brigades, the Generalitat, neighboring communities, and the UME were deployed to support firefighting and recovery efforts. [Attribution: Provincial Firefighters Consortium]