The Provincial Council opens aid for Tírig and Catí following the August fire

The Provincial Council of Castellón has approved the specification of the bases for the 2026 call for grants intended to compensate for expenses derived from urgent actions in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants affected by the forest fire declared on August 7 in the municipal districts of Tírig and Catí. The agreement was adopted in the session of the Governing Board held on August 25, 2026, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, number 106, of September 3, 2026, with reference 03911-2026-U.

The announcement specifies that this publication of the specification of bases is carried out prior to the call and therefore does not open the application period. Applications must be submitted within a period of fifteen calendar days starting from the day following the publication of the summary of the call in the provincial gazette.

A 754-hectare fire

The fire, declared on August 7, 2026, affected an approximate area of 754 hectares, of which about 404 hectares correspond to the municipal district of Tírig and 350 hectares to that of Catí. Its evolution was conditioned by adverse meteorological conditions, high temperatures, low relative humidity, and the orographic and forest characteristics of the terrain.

The emergency prompted the activation of Situation 2 of the Special Plan against the Risk of Forest Fires of the Valencian Community (PEIF), with the mobilization of a wide deployment integrated by personnel from the Provincial Firefighters Consortium of Castellón, the Forest Firefighters of the Generalitat Valenciana, the Military Emergencies Unit, Security Forces and Corps, Local Police, and Civil Protection. The evolution of the fire also forced the preventive confinement of the population of Catí due to the proximity of the front.

Beneficiaries and amount

Beneficiaries may be municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants in the province affected by the fires of August 7, according to the official population figures of Royal Decree 1117/2025, of December 3. Specifically, the Rapid Response Commission for the Restoration of Municipal Services, meeting on August 11, 2026, determined Tírig and Catí as beneficiaries.

The maximum total amount of the call is 20,000 euros, distributed as 10,000 euros for current expenses and 10,000 euros for investment, with a maximum grant per beneficiary of 10,000 euros. The aid is charged to budget applications 92005/4620000 and 92005/7622500.

Eligible expenses and deadlines

The grants will be allocated to the repair or replacement of municipal infrastructures, equipment, and facilities damaged by the fire. The eligible activity must be carried out between August 7 and November 15, 2026, and the expenditure must be approved between August 7 and December 15, 2026.

• Current expenses: repairs to infrastructure and the road network, repair works, hiring of personnel, machinery, and services to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
• Investment expenses: replacement of inventoriable assets, pavements, walls, and affected elements.
• Non-eligible expenses: licenses, permits, fines, fees, taxes, and the drafting of construction projects.

Applications shall be submitted exclusively electronically through the Electronic Office of the Provincial Council of Castellón (dipcas.sedelectronica.es); paper formats will not be accepted. The justification for the grant must be submitted before December 15, 2026.

The call, processed under a competitive concurrence regime through pro-rating, represents direct support for two municipalities in the interior of Castellón that suffered one of the most severe fires of the summer, and will allow the city councils to anticipate emergency spending to restore essential services to their residents as soon as possible.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, number 106, September 3, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: 03911-2026-U).