An out-of-control wildfire broke out on Wednesday afternoon, May 28, in the rural area of Sant Jordi, on the outskirts of Palma. The blaze was first spotted around 4:30pm along Camí des Coste, a road surrounded by farmland and scattered homes. According to the Balearic Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, the fire was given a potential severity rating of 0, meaning no homes or people were considered to be in immediate danger at the time.

Residents raise the alarm as smoke spreads

The emergency services began receiving calls from concerned residents shortly before 4pm, reporting thick smoke and visible flames close to their homes. The fire broke out in an agricultural zone, not far from a forested area. While no evacuations were ordered, the situation caused serious concern among locals due to how quickly the fire was spreading.

Multiple fire crews and police respond

Firefighters from Palma, Mallorca (under the Consell), and Ibanat (Balearic Institute of Nature), along with Palma’s local police and the National Police, were all deployed to tackle the fire. The flames, fanned by strong Llebeig winds and low humidity levels of around 40%, spread rapidly through dry vegetation, making conditions especially difficult for firefighting teams.

Fire briefly worsens due to water shortage

At one point, the situation became critical when crews temporarily ran low on water. Palma’s firefighters were forced to redirect almost all available units to the fire line, leaving their Son Malferit fire station nearly empty. Despite this, the teams worked quickly to restore the water supply and managed to continue their efforts without serious delay.

Concerns over possible spread to forested areas

One of the main concerns was the fire moving uphill towards the Es Puntiró area, which is more heavily wooded. If the flames had reached the forest, the risk to the surrounding environment and homes would have increased significantly. Making matters worse, firefighting aircraft couldn’t be used due to the location’s proximity to Son Sant Joan Airport’s flight path, limiting the response to ground crews only.

Progress made, but fire not officially under control

By around 8:00pm, emergency services had managed to contain most of the fire, but it had not yet been officially declared under control. Initial reports estimate that the fire damaged close to five hectares of land in the Pla de Sant Jordi area. Efforts were focused on the right-hand flank of the fire, where teams worked intensively to prevent it from reaching the nearby forest.

Incendi agrícola #CamiDesCoste
Mitjans d'@AgriculturaGOIB actuant: 2 autobombes, 2 vvpi, 19 brigadistes, 1 tècnic i 3 AMA#Palma #Mallorca pic.twitter.com/izwxKxY3DE

— Conselleria d'Agricultura, Pesca i Medi Natural (@AgriculturaGOIB) May 28, 2025

Teams remain on alert to prevent re-ignition

As of Wednesday evening, 19 ground crew members (brigadistas), two fire engines, two rapid response vehicles, one technician, and three operations coordinators (AMAs) continued to work on the scene. Although no injuries or property damage have been reported so far, authorities remain cautious, and crews will stay on site overnight to monitor the area and prevent flare-ups.