Spain faces unprecedented wildfire in over two decades

Catastrophic wildfire outbreak persists in Spain, as emergency responders exert tremendous effort in combating the blazes for a fortnight, yet fail to halt their relentless advance.

, and ASMedia

2025 September 2 . 10:12 PM

2 min read

Spain suffers devastating 20-year fire record

Spain faces unprecedented wildfire in over two decades

Spain and Portugal Face Devastating Wildfires

In 2022, Spain experienced some of its worst forest fires in recent decades, with over 306,555 hectares burned – the largest devastation since 1994. This year, the situation has worsened, with more than 348,000 hectares already burned by wildfires as of August 2025.

The current wildfire situation in Spain remains critical, with multiple active severe fires across various Autonomous Communities, including Castile and León, Galicia, Asturias, and Extremadura. Some of these fires are particularly worrying, and the extreme heatwave, low humidity, and strong winds have contributed to this continued high fire activity.

Over the past few days, neighbouring Portugal has also been hit by wildfires, with more than 3,440 square kilometers of nature destroyed. On Monday, five larger fires were active in popular tourist destinations in Portugal, and on Sunday, a firefighter died in Portugal during an accident while on duty. As a result, more than 3,800 firefighters are working to contain the fires in Portugal, mainly in thinly populated areas.

High-speed train traffic between Madrid and Galicia has been suspended for the fifth day in a row due to the fires. Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes due to the fires in both countries.

Despite the ongoing efforts of Spanish firefighters, aerial units, and military emergency units, no direct information or confirmation of aid from Germany has been found in the search results. However, a relief convoy from Bonn with 67 firefighters and over 20 vehicles is expected to support Spanish emergency services this week.

Records of fires in Spain date back to the 1960s, and in several years between 1978 and 1994, fires destroyed more than 4,000 and nearly 5,000 square kilometers of nature. This year's fires have already claimed four lives, and the work of the emergency services is made more difficult by the ongoing drought, strong winds, difficult-to-access areas, and a prolonged heatwave with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.

As the wildfires continue to rage in the north and west of Spain for two weeks, it is essential to monitor the situation closely and offer support and assistance to those affected. The ongoing efforts of firefighters and emergency services in both Spain and Portugal are commendable, and international aid is crucial in managing these devastating wildfires.