Andorra's 85-Day Wildfire Campaign Records Only Four Lightning Fires Amid Record Heat

Andorra's 85-day summer wildfire prevention campaign ended with four small lightning-sparked fires contained within the Principality, despite record heat and elevated risks.

The effort, spanning 21 June to 14 September, saw firefighters respond to incidents in Sornàs, Pas de la Casa, and Canòlich—twice at the latter site. All blazes started from lightning strikes during storms with scant rainfall and were quickly extinguished by ground teams backed by aircraft.

The Civil Protection and Emergency Management, Fire Prevention and Extinction departments, and National Meteorological Service announced the results, noting intense fire activity across the Pyrenees. Andorran crews supported four international incidents, sending personnel and aircraft to a fire near Estany de la Soucarrane in France, plus three in Catalonia at Farrera, Os de Civís, and Vall d'Aran.

Bombers d'Andorra released 51 wildfire risk bulletins at or above level 1 (high danger), with 26 reaching level 2 (very high danger), concentrated in southern and central parishes. July accounted for most alerts (30), followed by June (9), September (8), and August (4).

This coincided with Andorra's warmest summer on record. The Meteorological Service issued 16 yellow and 20 orange heat warnings, alongside 17 yellow and one orange storm alerts, prompting monitoring of lightning strikes, pre-alerts, and public advisories.

The Medical Emergencies Service handled heat-related cases including dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, and chronic condition flare-ups during heatwaves, but saw no significant rise over prior years.

Civil Protection intensified public engagement amid worsening weather patterns. The refreshed "El foc no és un joc" campaign showcased scorched landscapes, while social media delivered 168 posts on fires and heat, earning 360,052 impressions and more than 6,000 interactions across Instagram, Facebook, and X. The new ARGOS early-warning system now strengthens monitoring, prevention, and response to safeguard lives, property, and nature.