Spain has deployed an additional 500 soldiers to battle raging wildfires, bringing the total number of troops on the ground to 1,900, as blazes continue to sweep across the country in searing heat.
According to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System, more than 158,000 hectares have been destroyed so far this year—an area roughly the size of metropolitan London. At least three people have died in the past week, while around 20 major wildfires are currently burning, including several in Galicia where smaller blazes have merged into a single, fast-moving fire.
Roads and rail lines have been forced to shut, and evacuations are underway as homes remain under threat. International assistance has also been mobilised, with firefighting aircraft from France and Italy already in use and two additional planes arriving from the Netherlands.
Civil Protection Agency chief Virginia Barcones told RTVE: “This is a European battle. We are grateful for the solidarity shown by our neighbours as we face one of the most difficult wildfire seasons in decades.”
Southern Europe is enduring its worst wildfire season in 20 years, worsened by record-breaking heatwaves and prolonged drought. Temperatures in Spain are expected to climb to 45C in the coming days, prompting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to warn: “There are still some challenging days ahead and, unfortunately, the weather is not on our side.”
Meanwhile, neighbouring Portugal is also struggling to contain eight major wildfires, with smoke drifting as far as the UK and causing hazy skies.
