Portugal seeks EU support for extinguishing forest fires - Fires in the Forest: Portugal Seeks Aid from EU
EU Assists Spain and Portugal in Combating Severe Wildfires
The European Union (EU) is providing crucial aid to Spain and Portugal as they battle severe wildfires that have caused widespread destruction and loss of life in 2025. The wildfires, driven by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds, have led to unprecedented wildfire activity in both countries.
Causes
The intense heatwave sweeping across southern Europe has pushed temperatures to record-breaking levels, with some Spanish regions experiencing temperatures as high as 45°C (113°F). This, combined with drought and strong winds, has created tinderbox conditions for fires, exacerbated by climate change.
Impact
The wildfires have had a devastating impact on both countries. In Spain, over 3,430 square kilometers (about 843,000 acres) have been burned, setting a national record according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Portugal has lost approximately 343,000 acres, including 158,000 acres over just two days.
The fires have resulted in multiple fatalities, including volunteer firefighters who died fighting the fires and from related accidents (at least six dead total in both countries). Thousands of people have been evacuated, with homes and entire forested areas consumed by fire. There has been public criticism in both countries about insufficient preparedness and support.
EU Partners’ Involvement
The EU has responded quickly to the crisis, deploying firefighting planes, helicopters, and additional personnel from multiple EU member states. Spain has received support from France, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and other EU members, while Portugal's air support includes planes from Sweden and Morocco.
The EU civil protection agency has activated cross-border assistance 16 times in 2025, matching the total activations for all of 2024. Spain has also deployed hundreds of extra soldiers domestically, while awaiting further reinforcements from Europe.
The cooperation under the EU Disaster Protection Mechanism demonstrates strengthened cross-border solidarity amid climate crisis challenges impacting southern Europe.
Additional Information
- Spain's forest and bushland areas have grown from 12 million to 27 million hectares in the past 50 years.
- A village in Spain, Palacios de Jamuz, has been partly burned down.
- The Iberian Peninsula is experiencing a prolonged heatwave.
- No rain is forecasted for the region.
- A heat alert is in effect in large parts of Spain, with temperatures expected to reach up to 43 degrees on Saturday.
- Media in both Portugal and Spain are reporting despair and anger among those affected, who claim the state has not taken sufficient precautions and is not helping enough.
- Portugal has requested EU assistance for large fires, following Spain.
- The affected regions in Spain have requested help from the central government.
- Spain is experiencing 19 active wildfires that are large and dangerous.
- Two firefighting aircraft from Italy are expected to arrive in Spain.
- Around 3,500 firefighters are battling ten major fires in Portugal.
- Portugal has experienced intense and hard-to-control wildfires in August, with 139,000 hectares of vegetation destroyed since the beginning of the year.
- In Portugal, 64,000 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed in the past two days alone.
- A volunteer helper died in the flames in the municipality of Guarda in Portugal on Friday.
- Spain has also experienced intense wildfires in August, with around 157,000 hectares destroyed since the beginning of the year.
Two firefighting aircraft from Sweden are expected to arrive in Portugal to assist in the ongoing efforts to combat the wildfires. Strong, dry, hot winds are causing fires to break out and reignite in Spain, adding to the challenges faced by firefighters in both countries. The EU's multi-country coordinated response delivers essential aerial firefighting support and resources to Spain and Portugal, addressing a wildfire crisis fueled by climate change-driven heatwaves and drought, which has caused extensive environmental damage, fatalities, and social distress.
- The wildfires in Spain and Portugal are linked to climate change, a topic heavily studied in environmental science, as they have been exacerbated by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds that are becoming increasingly prevalent due to global warming.
- The European Union's response to the wildfires crisis, characterized by the deployment of resources from various member states, underscores the role of politics in addressing climate-change-related natural disasters, as shown in the general news.
- The wildfires in Spain and Portugal are not just a local issue but reflect a broader problem highlighted in the environmental-science field, as the devastating impact on both countries, including loss of habitat and lives, signifies the urgency for addressing climate change at a global level.
