Benicarló orders execution of forest fire prevention works

The Benicarló City Council has taken a firm decision to strengthen its defense against forest fires within its municipal area. Through Mayoral Decree number 2026/3140, dated 14 August 2026, the council orders the owners of forest and agricultural land to proceed immediately with clearing and cleaning work on the plots that form part of its prevention strategy. This resolution, published today in Official Bulletin of the Province (BOP) of Castellón, number 99, constitutes a direct legal notice to owners who have to date failed to comply with their obligations regarding the maintenance of the forest environment.

The measure falls within the framework of compliance with the Reduced Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan (PLPIF) of Benicarló, a technical document approved by Resolution of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition on 21 June 2022 (DOCV 14.07.22). This municipal plan forms part of the Municipal Strategic Fund for Fire Prevention and Forest Management for the 2026 financial year, for which the city council is the beneficiary of a direct grant, whose provisional amounts were accepted in another mayoral decree of 23 April 2026.

Obligations and deadlines for owners

The Mayoral Decree establishes a peremptory period of ten working days for interested parties to carry out the clearing and cleaning actions defined in the municipal action plan. This period begins to run from the day following notification of the resolution or its publication in the BOP. The urgency of the measure responds to the need to create discontinuities in the forest mass before the period of highest fire risk ends.

Additionally, the city council grants interested parties a hearing period of ten working days so that they may submit allegations and present the documents or justifications they deem pertinent. If, after this period has elapsed, owners do not express their disagreement, they will be deemed to have given their express consent for the municipal administration to access their land and proceed with carrying out the work by subsidiary means.

List of affected plots in Polygon 14 Bobalar

The official notice identifies a total of 16 plots under the same cadastral demarcation that are subject to this order. The affected cadastral references include:

• Plot 570, 12027A014005700000YT
• Plot 397, 12027A014003970000YW
• Plot 405, 12027A014004050000YL
• Plot 407, 12027A014004070000YF
• Plot 393, 12027A014003930000YS
• Plot 396, 12027A014003960000YH
• Plot 394, 12027A014003940000YZ
• Plot 361, 12027A014003610000YS
• Plot 306, 12027A014003060000YQ
• Plot 303, 12027A014003030000YB
• Plot 221, 12027A014002210000YO
• Plot 409, 12027A014004090000YO
• Plot 304, 12027A014003040000YY
• Plot 300, 12027A014003000000YH
• Plot 37, 12027A014000370000YE

All of them are located in Sector 14 Bobalar, an area of high forestry value and strategic importance for the protection of the municipality.

Consequences of non-compliance and legal framework

The legal framework supporting the municipal action is Law 3/1993, of 9 December, on Forestry of the Valencian Community. Its articles 49.2 c) and d) impose on owners of forest land the specific duty to remove logging debris and adopt preventive measures against fires. Likewise, articles 55.7 and 55.8 establish that, in the event of non-compliance with local prevention plans, the forestry administration may proceed with the subsidiary execution of the works at the owner’s mandatory expense.

The Mayor-President, Juan Manuel Cerdá Tena, stresses that the inaction of the owners poses a clear risk to the stability of the ecosystem and the safety of people and property. The notice, specifically addressed to those owners who are unknown or whose address is unknown, is also published on the electronic headquarters of the Benicarló City Council. The execution of these works by the municipal technical services will be carried out in accordance with the regulations of the common administrative procedure.

This action highlights the priority of the municipalities in the northern area of Castellón in combating the risk of forest fires. The execution of clearing works is an essential tool to create discontinuities in the vegetation mass and preserve safety in one of the Spanish provinces with the highest incidence of fires during the summer months.

Source: BOP of Castellón, number 99, 18 August 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: 167579).