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

Andorra's 85-day summer wildfire prevention campaign concluded successfully with just four small lightning-induced fires swiftly contained within the Principality, despite high risks and record heat.

From 21 June to 14 September, firefighters tackled incidents in Sornàs, Pas de la Casa, and Canòlich—where two separate responses occurred. Each blaze stemmed from lightning strikes during storms with minimal rainfall and was extinguished rapidly using ground crews supported by aerial resources, preventing any spread.

Coordinated by Civil Protection and Emergency Management, Fire Prevention and Extinction, and the National Meteorological Service, the operation issued 51 wildfire risk bulletins at level 1 (high danger) or above. These included nine in June, 30 in July, four in August, and eight in September. On 26 occasions, risks hit level 2 (very high danger), mainly in southern and central parishes.

This outcome marked a season free of major wildfires locally, even as fire activity intensified across the Pyrenees. Andorran teams assisted four cross-border incidents, deploying personnel and aircraft to a blaze near Estany de la Soucarrane in France, and three in Catalonia at Farrera, Os de Civís, and Vall d'Aran.

The period aligned with Andorra's hottest summer on record, prompting 16 yellow and 20 orange heat warnings, plus 17 yellow and one orange storm alerts from the Meteorological Service. Officials monitored lightning, issued pre-alerts, and shared public advisories.

The Medical Emergencies Service managed heat-related issues such as dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, and chronic flare-ups, but reported no notable increase compared to previous years.

Civil Protection boosted awareness through the updated "El foc no és un joc" campaign, featuring images of burned areas, alongside 168 social media posts on fires and heat. These generated 360,052 impressions and over 6,000 interactions on Instagram, Facebook, and X. The ARGOS early-warning system now bolsters monitoring, prevention, and response to protect lives, property, and the environment.