Portell de Morella summons owners to create firebreaks within ten days

The Portell de Morella City Council has summoned the owners of forestry and agricultural lands included in the actions of its Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan (PLPIF) to carry out the opening of firebreak areas within a period of ten calendar days. The announcement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, number 110, dated September 12, 2026, with reference 04033-2026-U, and is signed by the mayor, Álvaro Ferrer Ferrer, dated September 8, 2026.

The PLPIF of Portell de Morella was approved by Resolution of October 14, 2021, by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition, published in DOGV no. 9234 on December 14, 2021. The plan is mandatory for local entities located in high-risk forest areas in accordance with Law 3/1993, of December 9, Forestry Law of the Comunitat Valenciana, which imposes on the owners of forestry lands the duty to adopt preventive measures against fires.

The planned action

The action motivating the summons is the new opening of firebreak areas SMA-AC-07.02.06, as provided for in the municipal PLPIF. The city council considers it a priority to begin these works and warns that part of the actions are located on privately owned estates.

• Action: opening of firebreak areas SMA-AC-07.02.06.
• Legal framework: articles 49.2 c) and d) and 55.5 of Law 3/1993.
• The works may be executed directly by the city council or through a company contracted for this purpose.

Deadline and subsidiary execution

The affected owners have ten calendar days starting from the day following the publication of the announcement in the provincial gazette to carry out the actions, following the guidelines of the municipal technical services. If they do not express their disagreement within that period, it will be understood that they delegate to the city council the powers for the subsidiary execution of the described actions.

• Deadline: 10 calendar days from the day following publication.
• If there are no allegations, the delegation of powers for subsidiary execution is presumed.
• Failure to comply with the duties of article 49.2 c) and d) and 55.5 may lead to the imposition of sanctions.
• Interested parties may make allegations, present documents, and oppose free access to the affected lands during the period.

Affected owners

The announcement includes a list of owners of cadastral plots distributed across polygons 2, 3, and 10 of the municipal district, with dozens of affected estates. Along with numerous private owners, the Department of Environment (Territorial Directorate of Castelló) and the Generalitat Valenciana appear as owners.

• Individuals: among others, Emilio Monfort Vinaixa, Luz Rambla Marín, Josefina Carceller Troncho, Vicente Cruz Cruz, Jesús Solsona Royo, Pedro Juan Agut Monfort, Ricardo Marín Guarch, and Otilio Mestre Segura, as well as numerous heirs of deceased owners.
• Institutions: Conselleria de Medi Ambient – Dirección Territorial de Castelló and Generalitat Valenciana.

The measure reinforces forest fire prevention in a high-risk municipality, transferring the obligation to maintain discontinuities in the forest mass to the owners. For the affected owners, failure to meet the deadline entails assuming the costs of subsidiary execution and exposure to sanctions; therefore, the announcement constitutes a direct and mandatory warning.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Castellón, number 110, September 12, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: 04033-2026-U).