Spain and Portugal are reeling from what experts and officials are calling the worst wildfire season on record, with vast swathes of land scorched, thousands evacuated, and air quality plummeting across southern Europe. The crisis, fueled by a brutal 16-day heatwave and persistent drought conditions widely attributed to climate change, has placed both nations at the epicenter of a continent-wide emergency that shows little sign of abating.
As of August 20, 2025, wildfires have consumed over 439,000 hectares across European Union member states—a figure that, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), is more than double the 19-year average for this period and far exceeds the area burned in previous years. Spain has been hit especially hard, with more than 382,000 hectares lost to flames, marking its worst fire season since records began in 2006. Neighboring Portugal has not fared much better, with 216,000 hectares burned, a staggering 17 times the area lost in 2024, as reported by Caliber.Az and corroborated by multiple European agencies.
The wildfires have been concentrated in Spain’s western regions—Castile and León, Galicia, and Extremadura—where more than 20 major blazes have been classified at operational level two, posing direct threats to communities. In Portugal, the northern and central regions, including Arganil and Malhada do Rei, have been the hardest hit, with four major fires raging as of August 20. The devastation has not been limited to rural forests; homes and entire villages have been evacuated, with thick smoke blanketing towns and cities, degrading air quality and stretching emergency services to their limits.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has not minced words about the severity of the crisis. Speaking during a visit to Extremadura, his second to the affected areas in recent days, Sanchez described the situation as a worsening “climate emergency,” directly linking the unprecedented fire activity to global warming. “Science tells us so, and common sense tells us so as well, especially that of farmers and those who live in rural areas, that the climate is changing, that the climate emergency is worsening, that it is becoming more recurrent, more frequent, and each time has a greater impact,” Sanchez said, as quoted by Caliber.Az.
The heatwave that preceded the fires was nothing short of punishing. For 16 days, temperatures soared above 44 degrees Celsius in parts of Spain and above 40 degrees in many regions, according to the Spanish public health agency. The heatwave is believed to have contributed to as many as 1,149 excess deaths, mostly among older adults and those with pre-existing conditions. The extreme heat dried out vegetation, turning forests and fields into tinderboxes and lowering humidity in the air and soil, making it easier for fires to ignite and harder to control them once they started.
Despite the onset of cooler, more humid weather beginning August 18, which has given firefighters a much-needed edge, officials warn that “critical moments remain, difficult hours remain.” As of August 20, there were still 22 active fires across Spain and four major blazes in Portugal, with strong winds complicating containment efforts—especially in coastal and mountainous areas. Over 2,000 Spanish soldiers and thousands of firefighters, including reinforcements from Estonia, France, Italy, Slovakia, and several North African countries, have been deployed to battle the flames. Water-bombing aircraft have become a familiar sight, and in many rural areas, residents have joined the fight, battling flames just meters from their doorsteps.
The toll on communities has been severe. At least four people have died in Spain and two in Portugal as a direct result of the fires. Thousands have been forced to flee their homes, with dozens of villages evacuated and critical infrastructure disrupted. The train service between Madrid and Galicia, for example, remains suspended, and numerous roads have been closed. In the Ourense province of Galicia, 83-year-old Isidoro recounted to AFP, “We had to run away because the fire was coming in from everywhere — everywhere — above us, below us, all around.”
Officials report that many of the fires were sparked by lightning during dry storms, though arson is suspected in some cases. Spain’s interior ministry has confirmed 32 arrests and 188 investigations related to suspected arson. The fires have also released massive amounts of smoke and greenhouse gases, with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) stating that Spain’s wildfire emissions have reached their highest levels since 2003 in just a few days. Air quality has deteriorated sharply, with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding World Health Organization safe thresholds in several regions. The smoke has not only blanketed Spain and Portugal but has also drifted into France, the UK, and as far as Scandinavia, affecting millions more.
While the worst of the heatwave has passed, authorities caution that the situation remains precarious. Cooler, more humid conditions have helped slow the spread of some fires, particularly in western Spain, but officials warn it could take weeks to fully extinguish all blazes. Alfonso Fernandez Manueco of Castile and Leon’s regional government described the recent weather as “unprecedented, extraordinary,” noting that strong winds and high temperatures had created a perfect storm for wildfire outbreaks. Extremadura regional official Abel Bautista told Spanish public television, “We are very far from [stabilizing the fires].”
The scale of the disaster has prompted calls for a coordinated, long-term response. During his visit to Extremadura, Prime Minister Sanchez reiterated his call for a “state pact to confront the climate emergency,” emphasizing the need for unity and action in the face of increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires. “Every year the climate emergency worsens,” he warned, echoing the concerns of scientists and local communities alike.
For residents in the hardest-hit areas, the immediate focus remains on survival and recovery. Evacuations are ongoing, and many have lost homes, livelihoods, and cherished landscapes. Health officials urge people to take precautions against wildfire smoke—staying indoors, using air purifiers, and wearing high-quality masks if venturing outside. The fires have also highlighted the importance of real-time air quality monitoring and community preparedness in the face of future disasters.
As Europe faces the prospect of an ever-worsening wildfire season, the events unfolding in Spain and Portugal serve as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and invest in resilient communities. The scars left by this year’s fires will linger long after the last flames are extinguished, but the hope is that lessons learned will spur meaningful action to prevent such devastation in the years to come.
