The Provincial Council announces aid for Tírig and Catí following the fire

The Provincial Council of Castellón has announced grants for municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and smaller local entities in the province affected by the forest fire declared on August 7, 2026, in the municipal boundaries of Tírig and Catí. The agreement was adopted by the Council’s Governing Board in a session held on August 25, 2026, and its summary is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón number 109, dated September 10, 2026, with reference 04005-2026-U and identifier BDNS 928201.

The call for applications is framed within Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies, and aims to compensate city councils for expenses derived from urgent actions as a consequence of the catastrophe. The regulatory bases were approved by the same Governing Board on August 25 and published in the BOP of Castellón number 106, dated September 3, 2026.

Beneficiaries and Purpose

Municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants in the province affected by the fire may benefit, according to the official population figures of the National Statistics Institute in effect at the time of approval. In accordance with the criteria of the Rapid Response Commission for the Restoration of Municipal Services, the beneficiaries are:

• Tírig, the municipality in whose territory the fire was declared on August 7, 2026.
• Catí, the municipality in whose territory the fire was declared on August 7, 2026.

The purpose is to repair or replace municipal-owned infrastructure, equipment, and facilities located in the especially damaged area whose impairment disrupts the living conditions of the population or paralyzes the provision of essential public services. The eligible activity must be carried out between August 7 and November 15, 2026, both inclusive.

Amount and Eligible Expenses

The maximum total amount of the call, within the available credit, is 20,000 euros, distributed as 10,000 euros for current expenditures and 10,000 euros for investment expenditures. The distribution between both budget allocations is estimated, therefore any alteration will not require a new call for applications.

The following expenses are eligible for aid:

• Current expenses: repairs to municipal infrastructure and the road network that do not involve the replacement of inventoriable material; execution of works necessary for said repairs; hiring of personnel, machinery, and equipment; and contracting of services to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
• Investment expenses: repairs involving the replacement of inventoriable assets in infrastructure and the road network, as well as replacement works for pavements, walls, and similar elements.

Current expenses shall be allocated to chapters 1 and 2 of the economic classification of the municipal budget, and investment expenses to chapter 6.

Deadline and submission of applications

Applications must be submitted within 15 calendar days starting from the day following the publication of the summary in the BOP de Castellón, electronically through the specific procedure enabled on the electronic office of the Diputación (dipcas.sedelectronica.es), within the catalog of grant procedures for public administrations. Applications submitted through any other channel will not be accepted.

The amount will be paid upon justification by means of accounting statements according to the official model of the Diputación. For payment, the beneficiary must be up to date with their tax obligations and Social Security payments and must not be a debtor for reimbursement. The act, which concludes the administrative route, allows for a motion for reconsideration within one month or a contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Courts of Castellón within two months. The agreement is signed by the Deputy Delegate for Cooperation, Héctor Folgado Miravet.

This call represents a first step so that the town councils of Tírig and Catí can quickly restore the municipal services damaged by the fire, alleviating the economic burden that the catastrophe has placed on their local budgets and guaranteeing the continuity of essential services for the affected population.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, no. 109, of September 10, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: 04005-2026-U, BDNS 928201).