Spain is reeling from one of its most destructive wildfire seasons in recent memory, with blazes raging across parched forests even as a record-breaking heatwave finally begins to ease. On August 19, 2025, thousands of firefighters, soldiers, and water-bombing aircraft remained locked in a desperate battle against flames that have already claimed lives, devastated rural communities, and sent smoke drifting far beyond the country’s borders.
The situation has been especially dire in the northwestern region of Galicia, where the Spanish weather agency, AEMET, continued to warn of a “very high or extreme” fire risk despite a welcome drop in temperatures. According to Al Jazeera, authorities have suspended rail services and restricted road access in Galicia, Extremadura, and Castile and Leon as a precaution. The fires in Galicia have been so severe that locals in small, sparsely populated towns often intervened before emergency crews could arrive, highlighting the urgency and scale of the crisis.
Firefighting efforts have drawn support from across Europe. Germany dispatched units to northern Spain on August 19, and more than 20 vehicles were deployed to combat a stubborn blaze in Jarilla, Extremadura, near the Portuguese border, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. The Czech Republic, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Slovakia have also sent hundreds of firefighters, vehicles, and aircraft, underscoring the international alarm over the unfolding disaster.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the fire-ravaged areas on August 19, where he addressed the nation’s mounting concerns about the catastrophe’s underlying causes. “Science tells us, common sense tells us too, especially that of farmers and ranchers, of those who live in rural areas, that the climate is changing, that the climate emergency is becoming more and more recurrent, more frequent and has an ever greater impact,” Sánchez said, as reported by AP and FRANCE 24. He announced that many affected zones would be declared emergency areas, making them eligible for reconstruction aid, and pledged to propose a plan next month to make climate emergency policies permanent state policies. Not everyone was convinced: opposition leaders accused Sánchez of using the fires to deflect criticism from what they characterized as the government’s poor handling of the crisis.
This year’s wildfires have been fueled by a brutal 16-day heatwave, one of the longest and most intense in Spain’s history, with several days exceeding 40°C (104°F). On August 19, temperatures finally dropped by about 4°C (7°F), and AEMET predicted further relief as humidity rises and rainfall is expected. Still, adverse conditions persist in southern regions like Extremadura, and the risk remains far from over.
The scale of destruction is staggering. According to the European Union’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), more than 382,000 hectares—or about 1,475 square miles—have burned in Spain so far this year. That’s more than twice the size of metropolitan London and over six times the average area burned between 2006 and 2024. The toll has been grim: four people have lost their lives in Spain, and the fires have ravaged homes, forests, and farmland, leaving behind what Al Jazeera correspondent Sonia Gallego described as “an apocalyptic landscape.”
Portugal, too, is grappling with devastating wildfires. Over 3,700 firefighters are battling blazes, including four major ones in the north and center of the country. EFFIS data shows that wildfires have burned approximately 235,000 hectares (907 square miles) in Portugal this year—nearly five times the average for the same period in the past two decades. Two people have died as a result of the fires in Portugal, and the threat of reignition remains a constant worry for exhausted firefighting teams.
Air quality has deteriorated sharply across large parts of Spain, according to the EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring agency. Smoke from the Iberian Peninsula’s wildfires has drifted as far as France, the UK, and even Scandinavia, raising public health concerns and highlighting the regional—and even continental—reach of the disaster. The Spanish army has deployed 3,400 troops and 50 aircraft to bolster firefighting operations, a testament to the scale of the emergency.
While weather has played a major role, land management practices have also contributed to the crisis. Adrian Regos, an ecologist at the Biological Mission of Galicia, told AP that large stretches of unmanaged vegetation and depopulated villages in forested areas have created a dangerous buildup of wildfire fuel. This, combined with ongoing rural depopulation, has left many communities more vulnerable than ever.
Human activity has been a direct factor in several of the fires. Spain’s Civil Guard reported on August 19 that 23 people had been detained for suspected arson, with investigations underway into 89 additional cases. The revelation has added a layer of anger and frustration to a tragedy already marked by loss and hardship.
Scientists point to a broader, more troubling trend underlying the current emergency. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has found that Europe has been warming at twice the global average since the 1980s. This accelerated warming, experts say, is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heatwaves and periods of extreme dryness—prime conditions for wildfires. “We’re seeing the climate emergency accelerate and worsen significantly, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, each year,” Sánchez warned, echoing the concerns of climate scientists across the continent.
The logistical challenges facing firefighters are immense. In some areas, access to water sources is limited, complicating efforts to extinguish flames and prevent reignition. The sheer scale of the fires, coupled with unpredictable winds and shifting weather patterns, has made containment a daunting task. As Al Jazeera’s Gallego noted from Portugal, “What is of immense concern to the firefighters is not just putting out the flames, which have gone out of control … but also the danger of reignition.”
As Spain and Portugal struggle to bring the wildfires under control, the events of this summer serve as a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change on Southern Europe. With experts warning that such extreme fire seasons may become more common, the debate over how to adapt and prepare is only growing more urgent. For now, exhausted firefighters, anxious residents, and government officials alike are hoping that falling temperatures and incoming rain will finally bring relief to a region pushed to its limits by fire.
