Tuéjar, Valencia, Spain – Intense orange flames tore through pine forest hillsides as thick smoke filled the air during the #IFTuéjar fire on September 15.

Firefighters in protective gear and high-visibility vests worked beside a roadside guardrail as flames burned across the slope. Crews directed powerful water hoses into the fire while smoke reduced visibility.

A small airplane flew low through the haze as a helicopter made a water drop. Red fire trucks from the Consorci Provincial de Bombers de València lined the winding road as flames and glowing embers pierced the smoke over the mountain at dusk.

The fire was declared that afternoon and was complicated by wind and low humidity. Ground operations continued overnight after aerial assets withdrew, with aerial operations set to resume the next morning.

The fire started around 15:30 near Cueva de las Palomas and rapidly expanded due to wind and terrain. By September 16, it had reached 690–880 hectares with a 17–18-kilometer perimeter.

Situation 2 was activated, mobilizing the UME, more than 300 personnel, 13 aerial assets and dozens of ground units. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries.

Around 25 people were evacuated from a campsite and nearby areas as a precaution.

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