bloomshorts Thousands of firefighters, supported by soldiers and water-bombing aircraft, are currently engaged in a fierce battle against more than 20 major wildfires raging across western Spain. Officials report that a record area of land has already been burnt, marking a devastating milestone in the country’s history.
Spain and its neighbor Portugal have been particularly hard hit by forest fires, exacerbated by heatwaves and drought conditions attributed to climate change, affecting southern Europe significantly.
The death toll has risen, with two firefighters losing their lives in separate road accidents, bringing the total fatalities to four in Spain and two in Portugal.
Virginia Barcones, Spain’s civil protection chief, has classified 23 blazes as ‘operational level two,’ indicating a direct threat to nearby communities. The fires, now in their second week, are concentrated in the western regions of Castile and Leon, Galicia, and Extremadura, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Residents express frustration over what they perceive as inadequate preparation and limited resources. Patricia Vila, a 42-year-old resident of Vilamartin de Valdeorras in Galicia, lamented the lack of support, stating, ‘Not a single damn helicopter, not one plane, has come to drop water and cool things down a bit.’
The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) reports that more than 343,000 hectares of land have been destroyed in Spain this year, setting a new national record. This surpasses the previous record of 306,000 hectares set three years ago.
International assistance has been mobilized, with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia, and the Netherlands aiding Spain, while Portugal receives air support from Sweden and Morocco. However, the scale and intensity of the fires, with smoke visible from space, have made airborne operations challenging.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles described the situation as ‘very difficult, very complicated,’ highlighting the severity of the crisis.
Thousands have been displaced since the wildfires began last week, with many recounting harrowing escapes. Isidoro, an 83-year-old from Vilamartin de Valdeorras, shared, ‘We had to run away because the fire was coming in from everywhere—everywhere, above us, below us, all around.’
In Portugal, approximately 2,000 firefighters are deployed across the north and center, with half concentrated in the town of Arganil. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declared, ‘We are at war, and we must triumph in this fight,’ as the country faces unprecedented weather conditions.
Officials in both nations hope for a change in weather to aid firefighting efforts, with Spain’s meteorological agency signaling the end of the heatwave that saw temperatures soar to 45C in some areas.
Tragically, the fires have claimed more lives, including a firefighter in Castile and Leon and a Romanian worker attempting to protect horses near Madrid. In Portugal, a firefighter died in a traffic accident, adding to the grim toll.
