Fires "surround" Spain - Around 400,000 hectares have been burned by flames, 37 arrests
Spain continues to battle one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in decades, despite temperatures beginning to drop across the Iberian Peninsula. Wet weather and rainfall have brought some relief to Spanish authorities, as the country has seen more than 391,000 hectares burned since the start of the year, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
Although 40 fires remain active across the country, recent rainfall, particularly in the province of León, may help control the situation, allowing authorities to focus efforts on other areas. The president of the Castilla y León region presented an aid plan for those affected by the fires, which includes 500 euros for evacuees and up to 185,000 euros for those who have lost their homes to the flames. Meanwhile, fires in the Galicia region have devastated small, sparsely populated villages, forcing locals to intervene on their own before firefighters arrive.
Firefighters from Germany have arrived in northern Spain to help fight the blazes. More than 20 vehicles have been deployed to help put out a large fire in Jarilla, on the border with Portugal. Air quality has deteriorated significantly in many parts of Spain over the past week due to smoke, according to data from the Copernicus agency. Smoke from the Iberian Peninsula has reached as far as France, Britain and Scandinavia.
Human activity has been the cause of some of the fires. 37 people have been arrested for arson, while 89 others are under investigation, police said.
In Portugal, more than 3,700 firefighters are battling several large fires, particularly in the north and center of the country. So far, about 235,000 hectares have burned, nearly five times the average for the period 2006–2024.
Europe has warmed twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to Copernicus. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves and droughts, making the continent more vulnerable to wildfires.
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