A severe wildfire season has engulfed Spain, forcing over 31,000 people to evacuate their homes and burning an estimated 350,000 hectares of land this year alone. The Copernicus satellite monitoring system estimates that the blazes have affected a significant area, with 40 active fires raging out of control across the country.
The majority of the fires are concentrated in the Castile and León region, where 26 active blazes are burning. Nine forest fires remain active in the Galicia region, having devastated over 62,000 hectares. In Extremadura, a fire that started in the Cáceres village of Jarilla has burned 12,000 hectares.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will travel to Cáceres on Tuesday to assess the situation on the ground. The risk of new outbreaks is high across most of Spain, although temperatures are forecasted to drop in the northwestern half of the peninsula.
The past decade has seen a significant increase in wildfires, with 2025 already shaping up to be the worst year in three decades. The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) estimates that over 348,000 hectares have been affected by fires since January 1, surpassing previous records set in 2022 and 2006.
The death toll from wildfires has risen to four, with a firefighter dying and another being injured in an accident while battling blazes. Authorities are urging caution among local residents who volunteer on the front lines of the fires.
As the situation continues to unfold, Spain is grappling with its worst wildfire season in 30 years, highlighting the need for increased measures to combat climate change and prevent such disasters from occurring in the future.
Source: https://english.elpais.com/climate/2025-08-18/spain-faces-its-worst-wildfire-season-in-30-years-with-40-active-blazes-and-more-than-30000-evacuated.html