Multiple forest blazes in Spain, battled by German firefighting crews, with a total of forty active wildfires.
Massive Wildfires Continue to Ravage Northwestern Spain and Northern Portugal
A "fire tsunami" was described by a Spanish incident commander as wildfires in northwestern Spain and northern Portugal continue to burn, causing severe damage and prompting significant firefighting efforts. These fires have been active since August 9, 2025, marking an unprecedented wildfire season.
As of August 23, Spain is reported to be making substantial progress in containing the fires, with the affected areas reaching nearly 10,000 square kilometers (1 million hectares). This is over four times the long-term seasonal average of approximately 244,000 hectares, highlighting the exceptional scale of the wildfire crisis this year.
The Autonomous Communities of Castile and León, Galicia, Extremadura, and Asturias are the most affected in the northwest. The forest fires in western Spain are the worst in the country in decades. One of the largest forest fires is raging in Jarilla, with at least 15,000 hectares already burned.
The human toll of the wildfires is significant, though the exact death toll in this specific event is not detailed in the sources. Spain's wildfires in 2025 are described as deadly, indicating fatalities have occurred. There is active involvement of firefighting forces, including residents battling advancing fires in vulnerable locations such as the village of Rebordondo in Spain.
Despite the ongoing efforts, no explicit mention was found about international aid or assistance from other countries in the available results. However, France, Italy, and Finland have sent firefighting aircraft, while the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Slovakia have sent firefighting helicopters.
The emergencies in both countries remain critical, given the scale and intensity of the fires across multiple regions since early August. Thousands of people have had to evacuate their homes due to the forest fires, and parts of nature reserves have been destroyed. Preliminary estimates by EFFIS show over 3,800 square kilometers of nature have been destroyed since the beginning of the year.
The central government has mobilized hundreds of additional soldiers to supplement the military's specialized firefighting unit. On Monday evening, four firefighters were injured in Galicia, one seriously. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska visited Jarilla to assess the forest fire situation.
Despite the challenges, there have been protests from affected residents about inadequate forest fire prevention and late help against the flames. Due to the devastating forest fires, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez interrupted his summer vacation to visit several affected areas. The Spanish government plans to declare the most affected areas as disaster zones on Tuesday to provide swift state aid for reconstruction.
Rain is not expected in the coming days, according to the weather service, which may continue to pose a danger to firefighters battling the blazes. High-speed train traffic between Madrid and Galicia has been suspended for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday. German firefighters from North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony are preparing for deployment in western Spain to combat the forest fires.
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