Portbou · Alt Empordà · Catalonia · Spain · 22–24 July 2012
Bombers recorded a 45-hectare fire at Portbou on 22 July. Its response was affected by a second emergency already underway inland. Closures of the N-II and AP-7 in the Figueres–La Jonquera corridor had redirected northbound traffic, and the N-260 at Portbou was heavily congested when the fire arrived. The small burn footprint and the concentration of people on that road describe different dimensions of the emergency.
Traffic and fire chronology
| Date and local time | Event | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 22 July, 12:54 | Alert | La Jonquera |
| 22 July, 19:05 | Alert, 6 h 11 min after the La Jonquera alert | Portbou |
| 22 July, 22:01 | Control phase | Portbou |
| 23 July, 01:00 | Controlled, 5 h 55 min after alert | Portbou |
| 24 July, 08:50 | Extinguished | Portbou |
The Portbou report describes the first crews protecting people, vehicles and a service station on the N-260, then rescuing people who had fled downslope. With additional vehicles the crews tackled the right flank. French firefighters and aircraft helped with the tail and the left flank. The report links the flank behaviour to the ridge between Cerbère and Portbou and describes where the wind and a low-fuel strip slowed part of the fire. Bombers Portbou incident analysis, strategy and priorities
What a regional incident ledger needs to record
The road closures changed where travellers were exposed before the Portbou alert. A regional reconstruction can preserve that link by recording the closure on the La Jonquera timeline and the resulting traffic conditions on the Portbou timeline. The two fires have separate entries in the campaign review and different alert and control times. Bombers La Jonquera incident analysis · Bombers 2012 campaign review, major incidents table
Evidence limits
The time intervals come from the two recorded alerts and the Portbou status changes. The available documents describe congestion and the sequence of priorities. Estimating the number of exposed road users or comparing the effects of alternative diversions would require traffic counts and more precise closure records.