News
A fire in Montjuïc forces the castle into confinement and closes the cable car
A vegetation fire surprised Barcelona this Thursday, 10 September, on Montjuïc mountain. The fire began at around 12:30 next to the Miramar road and advanced uphill towards Castell de Montjuïc, raising a column of smoke visible from different parts of the city.
The flames spread through an especially steep area of scrubland, located between the Miramar road and the upper part of the mountain. The lack of paths and steep slopes made access on foot difficult for firefighters, who had to work from different points on the hillside with water lines and hand tools.
The sea breeze also complicated the initial firefighting efforts. According to Bombers de Barcelona, it pushed the fire up the mountain and accelerated its advance through the scrub, making it necessary to request air support from the Bombers de la Generalitat. Two water-bombing helicopters made drops over the affected area.
The priority was to prevent the flames from reaching Castell de Montjuïc. Several people in the enclosure had to remain temporarily confined while operations proceeded and subsequently left progressively. The fire did not reach the castle and the impact there was limited to smoke.
The emergency also altered access to this part of the mountain. The Montjuïc cable car and access to Jardins del Mirador de l'Alcalde were closed while teams worked in the area. No injuries have been reported.
After approximately two hours of work, firefighters declared the fire stabilised. The affected area was provisionally just over one hectare, although crews continued checking and soaking the ground before they could declare the operation completely over.
For now, it is unknown how the fire started. Firefighters themselves stated during the afternoon that they had still not been able to access the exact point of origin because of the difficulty of the terrain, so there is no confirmed cause or evidence to state that the fire was deliberate.
The episode also recalls another fire recorded on the same mountain last 19 April. That fire began in the Camí del Far area, also forced the evacuation of Castell de Montjuïc and the temporary suspension of the cable car, and was brought under control several hours later.
Thursday's fire thus leaves an unusual image on the eve of the Diada: smoke over one of Barcelona's most recognisable silhouettes and restricted access to one of its main green and tourist spaces. The situation was stabilised during the afternoon, although firefighting and monitoring tasks continued on the ground.