A fire on the Segura river embankment in Murcia reignited after appearing controlled, forcing preventive evacuations of nearby homes in La Arboleja and drawing a large emergency response.
What happened
A fire along the mota del río Segura in La Arboleja, Murcia, reignited on Saturday after it had initially been thought controlled, forcing the preventive evacuation of nearby homes.
Cadena SER reported that the flare-up was seen around 15:40 UTC on June 20, 2026, when a heavy smoke plume was visible over the area.
Emergency response
Bomberos del Ayuntamiento de Murcia were working on the fire, supported by a forest brigade already on scene. Two helicopters from the Dirección General de Seguridad Ciudadana y Emergencias were also reinforcing the response, with two more brigades said to be en route.
The smoke and ash were reported as far away as Alcantarilla.
What is still unclear
Officials had not yet confirmed how many homes were evacuated or whether anyone was injured. The final status of the fire, and its cause, also remained unknown in the early reporting.
La Arboleja is a district of Murcia beside the Segura river, where crews were trying to prevent the fire from spreading further along both banks.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.