The Catalonia wildfire can be seen and smelled from as far away as Torrevieja, some 440km to the south.
The inferno, which took hold at around midday Monday, continues to rage in the municipality of Paüls, in Tarragona.
Residents hundreds of kilometres away in Vega Baja and Torrevieja this morning thought another fire had broken out nearby.
But the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium said the smoke and smell are the result of the intense wildfire that has already scorched thousands of hectares near Tortosa in Catalonia.
Similar reports of smoke and a burning odour came from residents in Marina Alta, Santa Pola, and parts of the city of Alicante.
In response, the Generalitat’s Emergency Service said its 112 hotline had received a high volume of calls from early morning, mostly from people concerned about the haze and smell.
Spain’s state weather agency Aemet said meteorological modelling supports the theory that smoke from the Tarragona fire is reaching the Valencia and Alicante regions.
‘Back trajectories of the air mass over the area indicate it travelled from the Ebro River region, circulating clockwise toward the coast,’ the agency said.
Wind conditions – particularly strong easterlies – helped push the smoke cloud along the Mediterranean coastline, creating unusual scenes at daybreak.
In Torrevieja, iconic spots like Punta de Carral and Punta del Salaret were shrouded in a dense, orange-tinged haze, obscuring the sun and giving early morning beachgoers an unsettling view.
Residents in Pilar de la Horadada, San Miguel de Salinas, and Los Montesinos also contacted local police about the haze and acrid air. They were told the same: the source is far to the north.
The Alicante fire service echoed this in a statement on social media, aimed at reassuring the public and explaining the phenomenon.
Air quality maps and wind forecasts suggest the situation is likely to ease as the day progresses.
However, emergency services warned the public to ‘keep doors and windows closed while the smell of smoke is present’.
Those who are vulnerable or have respiratory issues are also advised to limit outdoor activity.
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