Las Hurdes, urgent action zone following the Pinofranqueado fire

The Governing Council of the Junta de Extremadura has declared the area affected by the forest fire that started on August 18, 2026, in the municipality of Pinofranqueado (Cáceres), which spread to several municipalities in the Las Hurdes region, as an Urgent Action Zone (ZAU). The agreement, adopted in the session of September 1, also declares the public utility of the emergency works to be carried out on the forest lands within the area, and is published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 173, dated September 7, 2026, by resolution of the Minister of Industry, Energy, Science and Territory, María Mercedes Morán Álvarez (official reference 2026062276).

The fire broke out at 2:35 p.m. on August 18 in the shoulder of the CC-122 road, in the vicinity of the hamlet of Robledo, within the district of Pinofranqueado. Favored by strong winds, it advanced convectively toward the northeast and was declared controlled on August 23 at 8:00 p.m. and extinguished on August 26. According to INFOEX data, the fire perimeter encompasses 3,833.11 hectares, most of which consists of forest (59.4%), with the maritime pine forest being the most affected formation (2,333.4 ha).

Affected area by municipality

The distribution of the burned area by municipal district is as follows:

• Pinofranqueado: 2,224.96 ha
• Nuñomoral: 1,588.99 ha
• Caminomorisco: 11.12 ha
• Casares de las Hurdes: 8.04 ha

Of the total area, 3,364.25 hectares (87.77%) belong to forests classified as Public Utility managed by the General Directorate of Sustainable Management and Forest Policy, including the forests 100-CC Sierras de Pinofranqueado, 099-CC Sierras de Nuñomoral, 098-CC Sierras de Caminomorisco, and 003-CC Dehesa de Casares. The remaining 468.86 hectares are privately owned and may be temporarily occupied due to the concurrent general interest.

Environmental impact and emergency works

The fire has affected 2,492.5 hectares included in the Natura 2000 Network, divided between the SAC Las Hurdes (ES4320011) and the SAC Río Esperaban (ES4320069), as well as the SPA Hurdes (ES0000355). The action plan, attached as an annex to the agreement, prioritizes soil protection against erosion, the reduction of runoff, and the prevention of debris flow toward riverbeds and infrastructure, given that 88.46% of the terrain has slopes exceeding 30%.

The works will be carried out using the own funds of the Ministry of Industry, Energy, Science and Territory, through emergency contracting under Article 120 of Law 9/2017 on Public Sector Contracts. The legal basis for the declaration is Article 274 of Law 6/2015, of March 24, Agrarian Law of Extremadura, in relation to Law 43/2003 on Forests.

Deadlines for owners and city councils

The agreement authorizes the landowners to cut and extract the affected timber within a period of six months from publication, extendable by another three months for city councils that own public utility forests. Grazing is also authorized in areas where it is already practiced, provided that livestock loads are equal to or lower than current levels. The volume of usable timber estimated using LiDAR technology in public utility forests amounts to 6,855.16 cubic meters.

The declaration represents a decisive step to halt the degradation of a region of high ecological value before the first autumn rains, preventing the irreversible loss of fertile soil and the impact on riverbeds, infrastructure, and inhabited centers downstream. The agreement, which exhausts administrative remedies, may be appealed for reversal within one month or challenged before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura within two months.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, no. 173, September 7, 2026, section III (official reference: 2026062276).