Senet Wildfire Active with Two Fronts, Affecting 71 Hectares

The high-mountain wildfire in Senet, located in Vilaller, Alta Ribagorça, continues to burn with two active fronts, impacting an estimated 71 hectares of forest land, according to Agents Rurals.

The primary fire front covers about 32 hectares, with a secondary front affecting an additional 39 hectares. Significantly, approximately 30 hectares of this area fall within the peripheral protection zone of the Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici.

Firefighters have been battling the blaze using aerial assets, including three helicopters and a water bomber, due to the challenging terrain. Ground units, specifically the GRAF and EPAF teams, have been deployed via helicopter to establish containment lines and execute strategic backfires. Despite efforts, the fire formed a pyrocumulus cloud on Sunday afternoon, fueled by updrafts, prompting aerial crews to make water drops on lower areas to prevent further spread.

Firefighters are working to prevent the fire from exceeding a potential spread of 2,700 hectares. Key containment boundaries include the Escobedieso ravine to the north, the Munyidor ravine crest to the south, and the Noguera Ribagorçana river to the west, which would mark an exit from Catalonia. To the east, efforts focus on preventing the fire from crossing a high pasture area near Vall de Boí. Agents Rurals are investigating lightning as the probable cause.

The steep terrain and lack of access make manual firefighting impossible, necessitating reliance on aerial support. While helicopter units have withdrawn for the night, aerial resources continued to work on containing the lower sections of the fire until sunset. The forecast for Monday anticipates the same deployment of resources as Sunday.