Spain is currently facing 14 major wildfires, with authorities warning that “unfavourable conditions” are making firefighting efforts increasingly difficult.
Seven people have died this month due to the blazes. The 12-day heatwave combined with strong southern winds has created one of the country’s most challenging wildfire seasons in the past 20 years, said Virginia Barcones, Spain’s Director General of Emergency Services.
“In the western part of the country, the situation is extremely worrying,” Barcones told RTVE.
In Galicia, several smaller fires merged into a massive blaze, forcing road and railway closures to the region. Flames in Ourense province spread into neighbouring Zamora. While many residents have evacuated, some have stayed behind to defend their homes.
The national weather agency AEMET has issued an extreme fire risk warning for the north and west, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C along the northern coast. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X, warning that today would be “another very difficult day” with extreme risk of new fires.
In Castile and León, one of the largest wildfires in Spain’s history—near Molezuelas de la Carballeda—remains active but has not expanded since Thursday, according to Ángel Sánchez, head of the regional forest fire service.
Two people have been arrested in Costa da Morte, Galicia, for allegedly causing fires by illegally burning copper cables to extract and sell the metal.
So far in 2025, wildfires have destroyed over 157,000 hectares, nearly double the annual average since 2006, according to the EU’s Forest Fire Information System.
