Bizkaia fire crews urge caution as San Juan bonfires face red-alert conditions

Fire crews warn of exceptional risk

Bizkaia fire crews are urging residents to use “sentido común,” or common sense, as San Juan bonfires face unusually dangerous conditions on June 23, 2026. The warning comes as the territory remains under red-alert heat, with strong southerly wind and elevated wildfire risk.

The annual San Juan festivities are normally marked by neighborhood bonfires across Bizkaia. This year, emergency services say the combination of heat, wind and open flames makes the celebration far riskier than usual, especially near urban edges and forested areas.

Bilbao sharply reduces bonfires

Bilbao has cut authorized bonfires from 14 to 5. The remaining official celebrations are in Iturrigorri-Peñascal, La Peña, Irala, San Ignacio and Ciudad Jardín.

The city had already moved on June 22 to keep five official San Juan celebrations while canceling or revoking others for safety. That earlier decision came after a run of red heat alerts across Euskadi and repeated warnings that the holiday bonfires could face restrictions.

A fast-moving municipal response

The wider municipal response has been uneven but clearly restrictive. Santurtzi, Getxo and Barakaldo have canceled celebrations, according to the June 23 reporting.

Barakaldo had already gone further on June 22, prohibiting fire-related activity including bonfires, barbecues and fireworks, while also expanding support for vulnerable people during the heat episode.

Portugalete and Muskiz are maintaining their San Juan events, but with reinforced monitoring. Their approach shows that some councils are still allowing celebrations to go ahead, but only under tighter safety controls.

Heatwave context

The fire-service warning sits inside a broader weather emergency that has left Euskadi in an extended sequence of red alerts. Cadena SER reported on June 22 that the region had entered an unprecedented run of red heat warnings, with temperatures exceeding 40 C in some areas.

The Basque Government had already signaled on June 21 that the heatwave and wildfire danger could force restrictions on San Juan bonfires. By June 23, those warnings had turned into concrete municipal changes across Bizkaia and neighboring Álava.

Safety advice and what to watch next

Fire crews are asking residents to avoid flammable materials, keep a safe distance from bonfires and ensure constant supervision wherever fires are allowed. The goal is to reduce ignition risk during crowded holiday gatherings under dry, windy conditions.

The situation remains fluid, and additional changes could still come before nightfall. Authorities may issue more safety updates if temperatures or wind worsen, and more municipalities could still announce cancellations or tighter restrictions before the celebrations begin.