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Euronews
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Euronews
Thousands of firefighters battle blazes in Spain and Portugal
Wildfires gripping Spain and Portugal forced evacuations and the deployment of thousands of emergency personnel as a heatwave continues to ravage the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited regions affected by forest fires in Ourense and León to meet with the heads of emergency and coordination teams. He was accompanied by Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. In a press conference, Sánchez said "the next hours and days are critical" and that the government would provide the help needed to extinguish the fires, including 500 more military personnel. Sánchez said the ongoing operations by emergency personnel was "probably" the largest European civil protection mobilisation in history. He also said the Spanish government would propose a state pact to adapt the country to climate change. As part of the visit, Sánchez met with Galician regional president Alfonso Rueda and the government delegate in Castille and León, Nicanor Sen. He is set to visit other parts of Spain affected by the fires next week. High temperatures in Spain have sparked a wave of fires that are of particular concern in Galicia, León and Cáceres. Local media report up to thirteen active wildfires are burning in the region. The wildfires have already reportedly burned more than 115,000 hectares of land. This includes over 50,000 in Galicia alone – most of them in the province of Ourense, which has been the hardest hit so far. According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, over 13,600 members of the State Security Forces have been deployed to fight the forest fires. Around 575 residents of several towns in Salamanca were evacuated due to the fires, a local news agency reported. Temperatures in Spain are set to remain very high until Monday. They could exceed 44 degrees Celsius in parts of the affected areas, according to the Spanish state meteorological agency. In neighbouring Portugal, more than 3,200 firefighters battled nine major fires on Sunday. Most were concentrated in the towns of Arganil and Sátão. Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple wildfires since July, particularly in the North and Central regions. High temperatures have led to the declaration of a state of alert, which remains in effect. The fires in Portugal have caused the death of at least one person as well as several injuries. According to provisional official data, 139,000 hectares of land have been burned in the country due to the fires. This is 17 times more than in the same period in 2024. Almost half of this was consumed in just two days this week. On Friday, the Portuguese government requested assistance from the EU's civil protection mechanism, a firefighting force that European countries in need can call upon. Portuguese media reports that two Fire Boss aircraft are now expected to arrive on Monday to reinforce firefighting efforts in the nation.
Russia Today
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Spain declares state of emergency after nationwide blackout
Spain declared a state of emergency on Monday after a massive power outage plunged the entire Iberian Peninsula into darkness. Authorities are still investigating the cause. The blackout, which struck Spain and Portugal around midday and briefly affected parts of France, left millions without electricity, paralyzed public transport, and delayed flights. In a televised address, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the Ministry of the Interior would assume control over the situation in Madrid, Andalusia and Extremadura, ensuring public order and other functions at the request of regional leaders. The measure would be extended 'to the regions that want it,' Sanchez added, adding 'We are aware of the impact this [power outage] is having.' The Level 3 National Emergency Plan allows for the army to be deployed to preserve order and security wherever it is declared in effect. Sanchez stressed there was 'no security problem,' saying State Security Forces had stepped up their presence on the streets and highways. The Interior Ministry said about 30,000 police officers had been deployed nationwide as the blackout stretched into the evening. The announcement came as grid operator Red Electrica (REE) said electricity had been restored in parts of Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country and Andalusia, and it was working to identify the cause of the outage. Earlier, Portugal's grid operator Redes Energeticas Nacionais (REN) said a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' over Spain, triggered by 'extreme temperature variations,' may have caused the blackout. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro later said authorities still did not know what caused the outage, but that it 'did not originate in Portugal' and 'everything indicates' the problem started in Spain. Spanish officials have yet to confirm the cause. Addressing the uncertainty, Sanchez said there was no conclusive information and urged the public to avoid speculation. REN said it had restored power to about 750,000 of its 6.5 million consumers by Monday evening.
