Spain faces a season of exceptionally virulent forest fires, with prolonged heat waves, shifting winds, and dry storms that have increased the risk across much of the country. If you want to know What it takes to be a forest firefighter, see additional information. According to the European EFFIS system, the flames have burned around 348.110 hectares so far this year, a jump that places this year as the most serious of the century in terms of affected surface area.
The figures are provisional and are continuously updated, but they already exceed the peak of 2022 (306.000 hectares) and, even so, they remain below the historical maximums of the 80s and 90s, when the 400.000 hectares, with a record in 1985. The extreme heat context explains part of the current magnitude. what firefighters do.
Figures and evolution of fire
EFFIS estimates the burned surface area at 348.110 hectares based on satellite images and relevant fire perimeters, while the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO) placed up to August 10th, XNUMX the forest area affected in 138.788 hectaresThe difference is due to different methodologies and calendarsEFFIS incorporates larger perimeters and near-real-time updates; MITECO only counts forest mass, and with greater delays. firefighter syllabuses.
The campaign's jump occurred in just a few days: from just over 47.000 hectares on August 5 to almost 350.000 in the middle of the month, a development that describes a Dantesque AugustIn the EU as a whole, Spain leads the balance of affected surface area so far this season; Portugal exceeds 216.000 hectares in the same period. what you have to study to be a firefighter.
The human impact is considerable: there are at least four dead, including three firefighters, and thousands of evacuees In several autonomous communities, authorities are maintaining massive operations while the very high or extreme risk persists in large areas.
Most affected areas and situation by territory
En Galicia, the province of Ourense concentrates the largest number of outbreaksThe latest regional reports raise to More than 48.000 the hectares burned in the community, with Ourense above 45.000The fire of Chandrexa de Queixa —the result of the union of several fronts— is among the largest recorded in Galicia.
En Lion The chain of major fires is worrying: Cabrera Flames advances with behavior classified as "anomalous" by the technicians; in Queen's Sweeping, at the gates of Picos de Europa, reactivations have been recorded; and in Canalejas (Almanza) y Gestures have been ordered preventive evictions in several locations.
The fire of Sil Rings forced the evacuation of the seven villages of Fornela Valley before the advance of a tongue of fire fueled by the wind, with a dense smoke which made the deployment of aerial resources difficult and complicated the perimeter.
En Estremadura, the fire of Jarilla (Cáceres) It was classified as completely out of control and threatened nearby infrastructure and nuclei, with attention focused on its evolution towards Plasencia.
The consequences for transport have been notable: the fires in Ourense They interrupted the Madrid-Galicia AVE train, with special services enabled while security was restored on the line.
Extinguishing operation and international support
The state device works to full performance: the EMU keeps deployed around 1.400 troops in direct attack and some 2.000 in support, next to the BRIF and MITECO media with about 600 specialists, in addition to thousands of agents of the Civil Guard and the National Police. In total, they operate hundreds of land and air assets, with more than 450 resources mobilized.
El State CECOD, chaired by the Government, has coordinated reinforcements for almost twenty major fires that require inter-administrative support. In parallel, the European civil protection mechanism provided tanker aircraft to support the extinguishing efforts on the most active fronts.
En Galicia, the central Executive underlines a deployment without precedents and reinforcements based on hourly developments; they have been mobilized there around 500 UME troops in addition to brigades and regional and state support.
Since the beginning of the wave of fires, the Government requested European support and cooperation between territories while communities maintain their own devices and coordination tasks are intensified in advanced command centers.
Causes and factors that aggravate fires
The combination of a rainy spring —which increased vegetation— with a very hot and dry summer has left one huge load of fine fuel ready to burn. The contrast between spring humidity and extreme dryness summer has been key in the magnitude of the fires.
El climate change It extends the risk season, favors nights with fire activity and increases intensity of the episodes. The Mediterranean basin is among the most vulnerable regions, with increasingly longer summers and more frequent heat waves.
The call is added “thermal drought” (or flash drought), the dry storms and gusts of wind that trigger changes in direction and reactivation. In these conditions, traditional firebreaks lose effectiveness facing large fronts.
The human factor remains decisive: in Spain, more than 80% of fires They originate from human activity - intentional or due to negligence - in a context of low surveillance in some rural environments and recreational use of the mountain.
Experts are increasingly skeptical sixth generation fires, with great convective power, secondary sources and extreme behavior that makes extinguishing difficult and compromises the safety of the teams.
Impacts on population and heritage
The wave of fires has caused thousands of evacuations, road closures and disruptions to basic services. Exposure to smoke and low visibility They have sometimes limited the use of aerial resources, forcing the work of ground teams to be redoubled.
The fire that reached Las Médulas (León), a World Heritage cultural landscape, revealed the fragility of the territory: nearly 1,000 people were evacuated. 800 people, century-old chestnut groves burned and suffered damage key infrastructures as tourist facilities and viewing points. There is fear of a increased erosion of the land after the fire has passed.
El Valley of Silence It was threatened by the advance of fronts with strong winds, complex orography and reactivations which made the perimeter difficult. The work was constantly adapted to the most favorable weather conditions.
Town councils and communities are already working on damage assessments, with commitments to aid for reconstruction and environmental recovery. Initial estimates in heritage and tourist areas indicate tens of millions of euros in direct and indirect costs.
