Fires in August scorch Spain, causing the death of 3 people and displacing thousands; report indicates over 115,000 hectares of land are charred.

Spain Faces Worst Wildfire Season on Record

Spain is currently grappling with its worst wildfire season on record, with over 350,000 hectares burned across the country since the start of the season. This area is equivalent to 34 times the size of Barcelona or the entire island of Mallorca.

The largest fire to date is the one that started on August 10, 2025, in Molezuelas de la Carballeda (Castilla y León), which has burned over 50,000 hectares. Another significant fire, the A Rúa or Larouco fire in Ourense (Galicia), has burned about 44,424 hectares, becoming the largest wildfire in Galicia's recorded history and one of the largest in Spain this century.

Major affected regions include Castilla y León, with 26 active fires and the historic Molezuelas de la Carballeda blaze, Galicia, including large fires in Ourense province, and Extremadura, with a fire near Cáceres village of Jarilla burning 12,000 hectares. Other affected areas include Madrid, Asturias, Cantabria, Andalusia, and Valencia.

The human and environmental impact of these fires has been significant. At least four fatalities have occurred, with dozens injured and over 30,000 people evacuated. Critical heritage sites like the Roman gold mines of Las Médulas (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) have been severely damaged, and the fires have also affected natural parks like the Picos de Europa, leading to evacuations and threatening biodiversity in the Cantabrian Mountains.

As of mid-August 2025, more than 40 active blazes were recorded, with many at a high severity level. Efforts to control the fires involve hundreds of personnel, including firefighters, aerial units, and the Military Emergency Unit (UME). Authorities have arrested 31 people and are investigating 92 others for suspected arson related to these fires.

The 2025 wildfire season has produced the highest wildfire emissions in Spain since 2003, significantly deteriorating air quality and raising serious environmental concerns. This extreme wildfire activity is closely linked to climate change and a record-breaking heatwave.

In Ourense, a large forest fire totals 10,500 hectares, one of the largest in the history of Galicia. In Teresa de Cofrentes (Valencia), a fire has affected an area of approximately 13 kilometers and 504 hectares. The fire in Mijas, Malaga is being fought by the Forest Fire Extinction Service of Andalusia. A grade 2 forest fire has been declared in the municipality of Gallegos de Arganán (Salamanca).

Thousands of people have been evacuated, and the southeast zone in Teresa de Cofrentes remains a concern because it is the most rugged and difficult to access by land. Operation Exit has been complicated due to the fires, with 12 roads closed and train circulation between Galicia and Madrid canceled.

In Zamora, more than 11,000 hectares have burned since Sunday, and a man has been detained in Zamora for causing a forest fire by imprudence. In León, a 36-year-old volunteer has died due to the fires. Juan Carlos Valderrama, the Emergency counselor, and Juan Carlos Escudero, the director of the forward command post (PMA) and official of the Provincial Firefighting Consortium of Valencia, have reported that firefighters in Teresa de Cofrentes are working to extinguish "some small reproduction" of the flames.

An additional section of the UME will be added to fight the fires in Extremadura or any other that may occur, at the request of the President of the Junta, María Guardiola. The Councillor for Presidency, Interior and Social Dialogue of the Junta de Extremadura, Abel Bautista, has stated that the level 2 of the Infoex and the operational situation 2 of the Infocaex are maintained throughout Extremadura.

References: [1] BBC News. (2025, August 16). Spain wildfires: Record-breaking season as blazes rage. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58133768 [2] El País. (2025, August 16). La situación de incendios forestales en España es la peor de la historia. Retrieved from https://elpais.com/eco/2025/08/16/actualidad/1660778972_655308.html [3] Reuters. (2025, August 16). Spain's worst wildfire season on record threatens heritage, biodiversity. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-wildfire-season-record-threatens-heritage-biodiversity-2025-08-16/ [4] European Commission. (2025, August 16). Wildfires in Spain. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/environment/forests/wildfire_en [5] The Guardian. (2025, August 16). Spain wildfires: record-breaking season as blazes rage. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/16/spain-wildfires-record-breaking-season-as-blazes-rage