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In August 1994, the towns of La Canyada, Paterna, Riba-roja, and La Eliana were affected by a massive wildfire that ravaged almost a third of the La Vallesa forest, with flames reaching up to 20 meters high. Thousands of people had to be evacuated.

As a community response to this fire, a social movement emerged that led to the declaration of the Turia Natural Park in 2007 (13 years after the fire). This designation allows for effective protection of the entire area encompassed by the Turia Natural Park, resulting in increased forest surveillance, fire protection, restrictions on new construction, and other measures.

In 2022, 52 water cannons were installed as part of the Guardian project to combat fire both preventively and as a firebreak between the forest and residential areas.

Our proposals

In 2025, together with other local organizations, we are coordinating efforts to continue making progress in its protection. We would like the following measures to be taken on days with a red heat alert:

• Access to the park to be prohibited and signage posted warning of the fire risk.
• The Natural Park to be included in the alerts sent to mobile phones by government agencies, thus advising the public to avoid entering the forest when there is a fire risk.

Factors for issuing a red alert

Several factors are considered when issuing a red flag alert:

• Low relative humidity
• Strong winds
• High temperatures
• Drought