Spain is grappling with an unprecedented wildfire crisis, with 20 major blazes raging across the country, fueled by a severe heatwave.
The situation has prompted the deployment of 1,900 soldiers from the military emergency unit to support firefighting operations.
According to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, “there are still some challenging days ahead, and unfortunately, the weather is not on our side.”
The wildfires have already claimed three lives and burned over 1,150 square kilometers of land in the past week.
The northwestern region of Galicia is particularly affected, with 12 major fires reported near the city of Ourense.
Alfonso Rueda, head of the Galician regional government, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “homes are still under threat, so we have lockdowns in place and are carrying out evacuations.”
Spain is expecting reinforcements from other European countries, including two Dutch water-dumping planes that will join aircraft from France and Italy already assisting Spanish authorities.
Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region soon. Virginia Barcones, director general of emergency services, noted that temperatures are expected to drop from Tuesday, but current weather conditions are “very adverse.”
The wildfires are not limited to Spain, with neighboring Portugal also battling widespread blazes.
According to provisional data, wildfires have burned approximately 1,550 square kilometers of vegetation in Portugal this year, three times the average for the same period between 2006 and 2024. Thousands of firefighters and 17 aircraft are deployed to combat the fires.
Scientists attribute the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe to climate change.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that Europe has warmed twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, making the region more vulnerable to devastating wildfires.