Forest fires in Spain: Glimmer of hope after hard fighting!

Forest fires in Spain: Glimmer of hope after hard fighting!

On August 24, 2025, the head of civil protection in Spain, Virginia Barcones, reported that the devastating forest fires in Spain were apparently over and that the worst was behind the residents. This welcome news follows the intense heatwave that has hit the Iberian Peninsula in recent weeks, with temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius in some regions. Fortunately, the end of this heat wave has led to better conditions for firefighting. However, Barcones pointed out that there is still a fire in the León region that remains worrying.

Although the situation has improved and the number of active fires has been reduced from over 40 to 18, serious challenges still remain. Eight people have died in wildfires in Spain so far, and more evacuations have been carried out this week alone. Hundreds of thousands of residents and entire villages had to leave their homes, although many of them have now been able to return.

Current situation of forest fires

In total, more than 350,000 hectares of land have been burned in Spain in the past two weeks, setting an annual record since records began in 2006. The fires occurred during one of the most intense heat waves ever recorded in the region, with temperatures averaging 4.6 degrees above usual highs.

Firefighters have made progress in the main disaster areas, particularly in Galicia, León and Extremadura. However, the situation in other regions such as Asturias and Cantabria remains tense. A major fire in Jarilla, Extremadura, has been stabilized, while police have arrested 37 people on charges of arson or gross negligence since June.

International support and political tensions

International fire brigades from several countries are supporting the firefighting, while European emergency services, including firefighting aircraft from Italy, were able to return. Germany and France also have emergency services on site to deal with the dangerous situation. Nevertheless, there are tensions in politics, especially after the harsh accusations made by a PP spokesman against the head of civil protection, who was described as a “pyromaniac”. There were demonstrations in Galicia and Castile and León demanding the resignation of those in charge of the regional government.

Given the ongoing health risks from smoke and poor air quality, citizens have been advised to wear masks in affected regions. In addition to the evacuations, the authorities have announced emergency aid of up to 185,000 euros for affected households in order to counteract the emergency. These fires are not only a local but also a regional tragedy, as the forest fires also had a devastating impact in Portugal, where four firefighters lost their lives.

Political leaders are promising to improve the means to prevent and combat future wildfires, especially after the devastating wildfires of 2017, which led Portugal to double its forest firefighting budget and increase funding for prevention tenfold. Experts point out that the dangers of forest fires are increasing due to climate change and that southern European countries, as well as the USA and the Amazon region, are particularly affected.

According to recent reports, the area lost to wildfires has increased worryingly in recent years, reigniting political debate about the appropriate response and preparations to fight fires. The situation in Germany shows similar tendencies, as forest fires have also increased here in recent years. In 2023, over 1,200 hectares of land were destroyed by fires, highlighting the need for preventive measures.

This current fire situation and the dangers posed by forest fires are not only a challenge for Spain, but also require coordinated international and political action to prevent future disasters.