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Spain battles record wildfires as heat fades
Record wildfires in Spain and Portugal continue as heat eases, testing response and policy on land management.
Record wildfires in Spain and Portugal continue to burn as heat waves ease, raising questions about land management and climate risk.
Spain battles record wildfires as heat fades
Spain faced a wave of wildfires that burned across the northwest and central regions, with Galicia worst hit. Fire crews, backed by soldiers and air units, fought blazes as the heat wave finally cooled. The European Forest Fire Information System shows more than 382,000 hectares burned this year, far above the 2006-2024 average. Authorities warned that risk remained high or extreme in Galicia even as temperatures dropped.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected area and linked the fires to climate change, saying the climate emergency is becoming more frequent. Ecologist Adrian Regos noted that unmanaged vegetation and depopulated villages in forested areas fuel fires. Authorities have detained 23 people for suspected arson and are investigating 89 more.
In Portugal, more than 3,700 firefighters were tackling four major blazes in the north and center. Fires there have burned about 235,000 hectares, nearly five times the 2006-2024 average. Two people have died.
Key Takeaways
"the climate emergency is becoming more recurrent"
Sanchez on climate change and fires
"large stretches of unmanaged vegetation and depopulated villages in forested land have led to the build-up of wildfire fuel"
Regos ecological assessment
"Science tells us, common sense tells us too"
Sanchez on climate change and rural life
The fires highlight how climate risks and land use intersect. Europe has warmed roughly twice the global average since the 1980s, and heat and dryness are fueling blazes. In Galicia, depopulated villages and unmanaged vegetation leave pockets of dry fuel that feed fires. Policy choices on land management, prevention funding, and rural resilience will shape future risk.
Highlights
- The climate emergency is becoming more recurrent
- Large stretches of unmanaged vegetation and depopulated villages in forested land have led to the build-up of wildfire fuel
- Science tells us, common sense tells us too
Political and budget risk from wildfire response
The fires raise questions about funding, prevention, and rural land management as authorities respond to a worsening climate pattern. Detentions for suspected arson may ignite public debate about accountability and prevention.
Policy choices will shape the next fire season and rural life.
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