The wildfires have been most intense in Galicia, Castilla y León, Extremadura, and Asturias, with several of the largest single fires in Spain’s modern history recorded this summer. The fire in A Rúa (Ourense) destroyed more than 44,000 hectares, while Uña de Quintana (Zamora) burned nearly 41,000 hectares. Authorities report at least four deaths, including volunteer firefighters, and more than 31,000 residents evacuated as flames approached towns and villages.
Spain’s government has mobilized over 2,000 soldiers alongside firefighters and emergency crews, while requesting assistance from European Union partners. Aircraft and specialized firefighting units from Germany, France, Italy, and other nations have been deployed. Several provinces have been declared disaster zones, enabling emergency aid and fast-tracked recovery funds.
Experts warn that the fires are not only a short-term catastrophe but a symptom of worsening climate change. Spain has endured prolonged drought and an August heatwave with average temperatures nearly 5°C above normal. Rural depopulation and poor land management have also contributed, leaving large expanses of abandoned, highly flammable vegetation. Scientists caution that Spain is increasingly facing “sixth-generation fires,” so intense that they generate their own weather systems.
As Spain confronts this environmental disaster, pressure is mounting on policymakers to expand climate adaptation, restore depopulated rural landscapes, and strengthen fire prevention strategies. Without long-term changes, experts fear that summers like 2025 could become the new normal.
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