Spain has ramped up its firefighting efforts, deploying an additional 500 troops to tackle raging wildfires, bringing the total number of personnel on the ground to 1,900. The crisis has already claimed four lives, with officials warning that conditions remain extremely dangerous.
On Sunday, tragedy struck in Castile and León when a firefighter was killed after his truck plunged down a steep hill during operations. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez later expressed his “sadness” and “desolation” on X following the news.
Neighbouring Portugal is also battling widespread fires. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa confirmed that a firefighter was killed in a “tragic” traffic accident over the weekend, while two others were injured.
Fires have additionally broken out in Greece, France, Turkey, and the Balkans, as an intense heatwave continues to sweep across southern Europe.
In Spain, several large blazes are still burning in the northwest and west, forcing the evacuation of 27,000 residents. Castile and León has been the worst-hit region, with local radio reporting that the air is “unbreathable” due to thick smoke.
In Cáceres province, flames remain out of control after burning 11,000 hectares, while in Galicia, 12 separate fires, most in Ourense, have destroyed 17,500 hectares.
The toll on human life continues to rise. Fires in Castile and León left five people injured on Sunday, four critically. Last week, two volunteers were killed fighting blazes in León, and another man died near Madrid in Tres Cantos.
So far this year, wildfires have consumed nearly 343,000 hectares across Spain, almost double the amount recorded in 2024, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Portugal has also seen devastation, with around 216,000 hectares already burned in 2025.
Spain’s Civil Guard announced sanctions against four people accused of carrying out unauthorised burns in Galicia, stressing that causing a wildfire is a criminal offence, even if unintentional.
Both Spain and Portugal have activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which has enabled the arrival of international firefighting support, including aircraft.
Wildfires are a recurring summer threat in southern Europe, but experts warn their severity is being worsened by extreme heatwaves linked to climate change.
Spain’s meteorological agency has confirmed that climate change is making weather patterns harsher, with heatwaves becoming more frequent and more intense.
