Wildfires scorch 30,000 more hectares in Spain
Some 373,000ha have been scorched in Spain this year as of today, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
That marks the country's worst fire season since records began in 2006, surpassing 2022, when 306,000ha were consumed by flames.
The bulk of the devastation has come from massive fires that have been burning for more than a week in the northwestern provinces of Zamora and Leon, Galicia's Ourense province, and Caceres in the western region of Extremadura.
Authorities have evacuated thousands of residents from dozens of villages.
Several major roads are closed, and rail services between Madrid and Galicia have been suspended.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was expected to visit fire-hit areas in Zamora and Caceres today.
While officials warned that the blazes remain far from extinguished, the end of a 16-day heatwave has improved conditions for firefighters.
Maximum temperatures have dropped by 10 to 12°C and humidity levels have risen, the central government's representative in Castile and Leon, Nicanor Sen, said.
"These changes are facilitating and improving the conditions to gain control of the fires," he told public broadcaster TVE.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Portugal wildfires death toll rises to three as heatwave fuels blazes
LISBON: A man has died while assisting wildfire suppression efforts in Portugal, raising the death toll to three as multiple fires continue to rage across the country. The victim was working for a company contracted to help the northern municipality of Mirandela combat the flames when the fatal accident occurred. Commander Paulo Santos of the National Civil Protection Authority confirmed the incident involved construction equipment being used for fire containment operations. The victim was initially cited as being 75 years old, however local city hall officials told AFP he was 65. Approximately 15 people sustained injuries during firefighting operations near the central city of Sabugal on Tuesday, with one person in critical condition. Two water-bombing airplanes sent by Sweden through the EU's civil protection agency were deployed to assist operations in the Sabugal area. Fire crews were still battling four large fires on Wednesday morning, with the most complex blazes raging in the north and centre of the country. Over 2,600 firefighters have been deployed to combat the wildfires, supported by about 20 aircraft. Neighbouring Spain has also experienced severe wildfire activity, with four fatalities and a record 373,000 hectares burned this year. The fires have been fuelled by heatwaves and drought blamed on climate change. Since the start of the year, more than 261,000 hectares in Portugal have been destroyed by fires, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, compared to 143,000 hectares in 2024. Portugal experienced a particularly devastating fire season in 2017, with 563,000 hectares scorched and 119 people killed. – AFP
The Star
21 hours ago
- The Star
Spanish PM announces civil protection emergency over wildfires
MADRID, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday announced that his government will declare a civil protection emergency in response to widespread wildfires ravaging the country. Sanchez made the announcement during a visit to a firefighting command post in Caceres, southwest Spain, one of the worst-hit areas along with the northwestern regions of Galicia and Castilla-Leon. Calling the situation "a calamity," Sanchez pledged government support, including compensation for those who have suffered losses from the fires. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 382,000 hectares have burned in Spain so far in 2025, with over 300,000 hectares destroyed in the past two weeks alone. Regional emergency services reported that four people have died this month and more than 30,000 residents have been evacuated. Sanchez also underlined the need to confront climate change, describing it as the root cause of the crisis. "We cannot limit ourselves to reacting when fires start. We must prepare the ground so that when they break out, the damage is reduced," he said.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Huge wildfires stabilising in Spain, cooler forecast fuels hope worst is over
GONDULFES, Spain (Reuters) -Wildfires raging in northern and western Spain have burned through nearly the same area in the past 24 hours as in all of last year, although the end of a 16-day heatwave and expected rainfall have fanned hopes that an end may be in sight. The fires have spread over the regions of Extremadura, Galicia, and Castile and Leon, forcing authorities to suspend rail services and cut access to roads in the area, as well as blocking a 50 km (30 mile) stretch of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail. Data on Tuesday from the European Forest Fire Information System showed the fires have burned vegetation on 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) since Monday, just below 42,000 hectares during the whole of 2024. However, the national weather agency, which on Monday declared the end of one of the longest heatwaves in the past five decades, now expects temperatures to fall and humidity to rise. "The evolution is favourable, the teams are stabilising the fires," Castile and Leon regional leader Alfonso Fernandez Manueco told reporters. The region, Spain's largest, is one of the worst hit by the blazes. "If weather trends continue, we will be better tomorrow than today and better the day after tomorrow," Manueco said. The weather agency said adverse conditions would remain in southern Spain, including in part of Extremadura. So far this year, an estimated 382,600 hectares have burned in Spain - an area equivalent to the size of the island of Mallorca - according to the EFFIS. It is the largest area in records that go back to 2006 and more than four times the 2006-2024 average. Visiting the fires in Extremadura, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government would declare many of the affected areas as emergency zones, which in practice means they will be eligible to receive aid for reconstruction. Blaming the fires on the effects of climate change, he also said he would propose a plan next month to turn climate emergency policies into permanent state policies. He gave no details, but the authorities have been focusing on fire prevention and response planning. "We're seeing the climate emergency accelerate and worsen significantly, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, each year," he said. Opposition leaders have said his proposal is a way to divert attention from his government's poor handling of the fires. Most of Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades. The Spanish army has deployed 3,400 troops and 50 aircraft to help firefighters, while Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Slovakia have sent hundreds of firefighters, vehicles and aircraft. The Interior Ministry said that since June, 32 people have been arrested and 93 were under investigation for suspected arson. (Writing by Inti Landauro; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Alison Williams)
