A forest fire which broke out on Wednesday night in the Lagunas de La Mata and Torrevieja Natural Park has been brought under control after a major emergency response.

The blaze started at 9.52pm near Calle Chiva in the San Luis urbanisation, in a pine forest within one of the park’s most protected areas. The flames were between 100 and 200 metres from nearby homes and were visible from several kilometres away, including from La Mata.

Crews from the Torrevieja and Almoradí fire stations, along with two forest firefighter units, worked to contain the fire and prevent it spreading towards residential areas. The fire was stabilised by 11.00pm, with teams remaining overnight to damp down and inspect the ground. The operation concluded at 8.17am. Local Police and the Civil Guard also assisted.

The Provincial Fire Consortium has not confirmed the size of the affected area. The pine forest, planted more than 70 years ago to prevent erosion around La Mata lagoon, covers around 200 hectares and has suffered several small fires in recent years. Forestry work has been carried out to improve resilience following severe drought conditions in 2023.