Two injured in fire at photovoltaic plant in Spain

A vegetation fire broke out yesterday within a photovoltaic plant about 2 km south of Villamediana, in Spain’s Palencia province. The incident, reported at 12:49 p.m. local time, prompted the deployment of the Civil Guard, the Palencia Provincial Council Fire Department, the Castilla y León regional government’s environmental emergency services, and emergency medical personnel.

Two people required medical attention. One middle-aged man was treated for smoke inhalation, while another person fainted.

According to local authorities, the fire was confined to vegetation within the perimeter of the photovoltaic plant. The cause of the fire and the extent of any damage to the solar facility have not been disclosed.

Emergency responders quickly brought the fire under control and treated the two affected individuals.

Authorities have not identified the photovoltaic plant involved. However, the area is home to the 49.88 MW Armus Solar project, developed by Solaria, which forms part of a planned hybrid energy complex in Villamediana. The project is expected to include a 35 MW wind farm and a 20 MW battery energy storage system. Based on the information released so far, there is no indication that the plant’s electrical infrastructure was damaged, suggesting the fire affected only vegetation within the site.

Misinformation

Following the recent wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almería, which claimed at least 13 lives, social media posts and some digital media reports have alleged that the fire was linked to plans to develop photovoltaic projects in the area. The claims reference notices published in Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) for the proposed La Rambla solar project, in the municipalities of Lucainena de las Torres and Sorbas, and the El Tranco project, in Lubrín and Antas.

The cited BOE notices relate to routine administrative procedures required for electricity infrastructure projects, including public utility declarations and permitting processes for renewable energy facilities. Their publication forms part of the standard regulatory approval process and does not alter land-use classifications or the forestry status of affected areas. Some of the projects referenced predate the wildfire, while others continue to advance through the normal permitting process without requiring any rezoning of burned land.

Spanish law also contradicts the claims. The country’s 2003 Forestry Act generally prohibits changing the forestry use of land affected by wildfire for 30 years, except in narrowly defined circumstances established by law. As a result, a forest fire does not provide a legal pathway for developing photovoltaic projects on burned forest land.