Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez today warned that the country is at “extreme risk” of new wildfires, as firefighters and soldiers battle 14 major blazes from the sun-drenched coast to the rugged mountains of the north. The dire warning comes as a scorching heatwave and dry conditions persist across the Iberian Peninsula, creating a perfect storm for a devastating wildfire season.
In a post on X, Sánchez wrote that Friday would “once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires.” The national weather agency AEMET has issued extreme fire risk warnings for most of the country, including the regions of Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Galicia, where the largest fires are burning.
The fires have already left a trail of death and destruction. This week, a man died after suffering burns on 98% of his body in a fire near Madrid, while a volunteer firefighter perished in the hard-hit Castile and Leon region. More than 8,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and hotels across the country, with some evacuees still unable to return.
The sheer scale of the blazes has stretched resources to their limit. Firefighters and nearly 1,000 soldiers from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) have been deployed to assist local forces. Spain has also taken the unprecedented step of activating the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time ever for forest fires, receiving two Canadair water-bombing aircraft from France to aid in the effort.
Across the border in Portugal, the situation is equally dire. More than 4,000 firefighters and a fleet of aircraft are battling at least seven active fires, prompting authorities to extend a state of alert. The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) reports that over 158,000 hectares, an area roughly the size of metropolitan London, have already been scorched in Spain this year, a grim reminder of a problem that is only getting worse.
The fires are a brutal and painful manifestation of climate change, which scientists have warned is making the Mediterranean region increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Spain’s environment minister, Sara Aagesen, has called the blazes a “clear warning” of the climate emergency.
For now, the battle rages on. As firefighters work tirelessly to contain the flames, the public is being urged to exercise extreme caution. The devastating fires are a stark new chapter in Europe’s annual fight against a changing climate, with millions left to wonder how long this “infernal summer” will last.