CLIMATE CRISIS
Six killed fighting fires in Spain and Portugal as wildfires ravage peninsula
Six firefighters have died across Spain and Portugal as the Iberian peninsula grapples with devastating wildfires exacerbated by an enduring heatwave. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed across southern Europe in recent weeks to beat back a series of deadly blazes.
Issued on: 18/08/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Antonia KERRIGAN
Fires keep burning in southern Europe as army is deployed in Spain
Six firefighters have died across Spain and Portugal as the Iberian peninsula grapples with devastating wildfires exacerbated by an enduring heatwave. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed across southern Europe in recent weeks to beat back a series of deadly blazes.
Issued on: 18/08/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Antonia KERRIGAN
A firefighter stands as he battles a wildfire in Veiga das Meas, northwestern Spain, Saturday, August 16, 2025. © Lalo R. Villar, AP
01:43
Thousands of firefighters backed by the military and water-bombing aircraft on Monday battled dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as the death toll increased to six since the outbreaks began.
The Iberian peninsula has been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by heatwaves and drought blamed on climate change that have hit southern Europe.
More than 343,000 hectares (848,000 acres) of land – the equivalent of nearly half a million football pitches -- have been destroyed this year in Spain, setting a new national record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
01:43
Thousands of firefighters backed by the military and water-bombing aircraft on Monday battled dozens of wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as the death toll increased to six since the outbreaks began.
The Iberian peninsula has been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by heatwaves and drought blamed on climate change that have hit southern Europe.
More than 343,000 hectares (848,000 acres) of land – the equivalent of nearly half a million football pitches -- have been destroyed this year in Spain, setting a new national record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
Fires keep burning in southern Europe as army is deployed in Spain
Firefighters continue to battle blazes © France 24
01:21
01:21
The previous record of 306,000 hectares was set in the same period three years ago.
Two firefighters were killed on Sunday – one in each country, both in road accidents – taking the death toll to two in Portugal and four in Spain.
The head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, told broadcaster TVE there were currently 23 "active fires" that pose a serious and direct threat to the population.
The fires, now in their second week, were concentrated in the northwest regions of Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura.
In Ourense province of Galicia, signs of the fires were everywhere, from ashen forests and blackened soil to destroyed homes, with thick smoke forcing people to wear facemasks.
Firefighters battled to put out fires, as locals in just shorts and T-shirts used water from hoses and buckets to try to stop the spread.
One resident in O Barco de Valdeorras, dousing his home with water from a hosepipe, described the wildfire that ripped through his area as "like a bomb".
"It came from below and it was like a hurricane," he said. "The good thing was that in two minutes it headed up and it didn't stay here long.
"If not, our house would have been burnt, it would not have survived."
'Complicated situation'
Barcones said she hoped weather conditions would turn to help tackle the fires. Spain's meteorological agency said the heatwave, which has seen temperatures hit 45C in parts of the country, was coming to an end.
Elsewhere, authorities in Turkey said two major fires had been brought under control, while rain and falling temperatures have helped firefighters extinguish dozens of blazes in the Balkans.
Spain is being helped with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia and the Netherlands, while Portugal is receiving air support from Sweden and Morocco.
"It's a very difficult, very complicated situation," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE.
The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke – visible from space – were making "airborne action" difficult," she added.
Officials in Castile and Leon said a firefighter died on Sunday night when the water truck he was driving flipped over on a steep forest road and down a slope.
Two other volunteer firefighters have died in Castile and Leon, while a Romanian employee of a riding school north of Madrid lost his life trying to protect horses from the fire.
In Portugal, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a firefighter died on Sunday in a traffic accident that left two colleagues seriously injured.
A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died on Friday while trying to tackle a fire.
Some 2,000 firefighters were deployed across northern and central Portugal on Monday, with about half of them concentrated in the town of Arbanil.
Some 216,000 hectares of land have been destroyed across Portugal since the start of the year.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Two firefighters were killed on Sunday – one in each country, both in road accidents – taking the death toll to two in Portugal and four in Spain.
The head of Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, told broadcaster TVE there were currently 23 "active fires" that pose a serious and direct threat to the population.
The fires, now in their second week, were concentrated in the northwest regions of Galicia, Castile and Leon, and Extremadura.
In Ourense province of Galicia, signs of the fires were everywhere, from ashen forests and blackened soil to destroyed homes, with thick smoke forcing people to wear facemasks.
Firefighters battled to put out fires, as locals in just shorts and T-shirts used water from hoses and buckets to try to stop the spread.
One resident in O Barco de Valdeorras, dousing his home with water from a hosepipe, described the wildfire that ripped through his area as "like a bomb".
"It came from below and it was like a hurricane," he said. "The good thing was that in two minutes it headed up and it didn't stay here long.
"If not, our house would have been burnt, it would not have survived."
'Complicated situation'
Barcones said she hoped weather conditions would turn to help tackle the fires. Spain's meteorological agency said the heatwave, which has seen temperatures hit 45C in parts of the country, was coming to an end.
Elsewhere, authorities in Turkey said two major fires had been brought under control, while rain and falling temperatures have helped firefighters extinguish dozens of blazes in the Balkans.
Spain is being helped with firefighting aircraft from France, Italy, Slovakia and the Netherlands, while Portugal is receiving air support from Sweden and Morocco.
"It's a very difficult, very complicated situation," Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told TVE.
The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke – visible from space – were making "airborne action" difficult," she added.
Officials in Castile and Leon said a firefighter died on Sunday night when the water truck he was driving flipped over on a steep forest road and down a slope.
Two other volunteer firefighters have died in Castile and Leon, while a Romanian employee of a riding school north of Madrid lost his life trying to protect horses from the fire.
In Portugal, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said a firefighter died on Sunday in a traffic accident that left two colleagues seriously injured.
A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died on Friday while trying to tackle a fire.
Some 2,000 firefighters were deployed across northern and central Portugal on Monday, with about half of them concentrated in the town of Arbanil.
Some 216,000 hectares of land have been destroyed across Portugal since the start of the year.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
By Malek Fouda
Published on 18/08/2025
Spanish firefighters are still battling 12 major and active wildfires in the northwestern Galicia region as much of southern Europe reels from record hot temperatures.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says a further 500 soldiers will be deployed to battle wildfires that have torn through parched woodland amid a record-setting European heatwave.
The decision to add to the more than 1,400 troops already on wildfire duty came as authorities struggle to contain forest blazes, particularly in the north-western Galicia region and await the arrival of promised aircraft reinforcements from other European countries.
Firefighters are tackling 12 major wildfires in the province, all of them near the city of Ourense, according to the head of the Galician regional government Alfonso Rueda, who delivered the update in a joint press conference with Sánchez.
"Homes are still under threat so we have lockdowns in place and are carrying out evacuations," said Rueda. "Galicia has been battling the spreading flames for more than a week."
Published on 18/08/2025
Spanish firefighters are still battling 12 major and active wildfires in the northwestern Galicia region as much of southern Europe reels from record hot temperatures.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says a further 500 soldiers will be deployed to battle wildfires that have torn through parched woodland amid a record-setting European heatwave.
The decision to add to the more than 1,400 troops already on wildfire duty came as authorities struggle to contain forest blazes, particularly in the north-western Galicia region and await the arrival of promised aircraft reinforcements from other European countries.
Firefighters are tackling 12 major wildfires in the province, all of them near the city of Ourense, according to the head of the Galician regional government Alfonso Rueda, who delivered the update in a joint press conference with Sánchez.
"Homes are still under threat so we have lockdowns in place and are carrying out evacuations," said Rueda. "Galicia has been battling the spreading flames for more than a week."
A firefighting plane drops water over a wildfire in Veiga das Meas, northwestern Spain, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 Lalo R. Villar/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved
Temperatures in Spain could reach 45C in some areas on Sunday, according to the Spanish national weather agency, AEMET. On Saturday, the highest temperature on record was 44.7C in the southern city of Cordoba.
"This Sunday, when extraordinarily high temperatures are expected, the danger of wildfires is extreme in most of the country," AEMET said in a post on X.
The fires in Spain this year have burned 3,430 square kilometres, according to the EU's European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly the same size as metropolitan London.
Experts say Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. Scientists believe that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Spain awaits assistance from Europe
Madrid is expecting the arrival of two Dutch water-dumping planes that were to join aircraft from France and Italy already helping Spanish authorities under a European cooperation agreement.
Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region in coming days, as per an announcement by Spain’s Civil Protection Agency chief Virginia Barcones told public broadcaster RTVE.
Temperatures in Spain could reach 45C in some areas on Sunday, according to the Spanish national weather agency, AEMET. On Saturday, the highest temperature on record was 44.7C in the southern city of Cordoba.
"This Sunday, when extraordinarily high temperatures are expected, the danger of wildfires is extreme in most of the country," AEMET said in a post on X.
The fires in Spain this year have burned 3,430 square kilometres, according to the EU's European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly the same size as metropolitan London.
Experts say Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. Scientists believe that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Spain awaits assistance from Europe
Madrid is expecting the arrival of two Dutch water-dumping planes that were to join aircraft from France and Italy already helping Spanish authorities under a European cooperation agreement.
Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region in coming days, as per an announcement by Spain’s Civil Protection Agency chief Virginia Barcones told public broadcaster RTVE.
Two women walk with their heads covered to protect from the sun during extreme hot weather in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025 Paul White/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved
National rail operator Renfe said it suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services scheduled for Sunday due to the fires. It’s not yet clear when service is expected to resume.
Galician authorities advised people to wear face masks to avoid inhaling smoke and ash and advised them to limit time spent outdoors as the risk of heatstroke looms.
Cooler days on the horizon for Portugal
Portugal is set for cooler weather in the coming days after a string of severe wildfires. A national state of alert was enacted on 2 August due to the blazes and was set to end on Sunday, a day before two Swedish firefighting planes were expected to arrive.
Similarly to Spain, Portugal's resources have been stretched. On Sunday, more than 4,000 firefighters and over 1,300 vehicles were deployed, as well as 17 aircraft, to tackle the fires.
National rail operator Renfe said it suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services scheduled for Sunday due to the fires. It’s not yet clear when service is expected to resume.
Galician authorities advised people to wear face masks to avoid inhaling smoke and ash and advised them to limit time spent outdoors as the risk of heatstroke looms.
Cooler days on the horizon for Portugal
Portugal is set for cooler weather in the coming days after a string of severe wildfires. A national state of alert was enacted on 2 August due to the blazes and was set to end on Sunday, a day before two Swedish firefighting planes were expected to arrive.
Similarly to Spain, Portugal's resources have been stretched. On Sunday, more than 4,000 firefighters and over 1,300 vehicles were deployed, as well as 17 aircraft, to tackle the fires.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an active fire line for a wildfire in Trancoso, Portugal, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025 AP/Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies
The scorched area of forest in Portugal so far this year is 17 times what it was in 2024, estimated at around 1,390 square kilometres, according to preliminary calculations by the Portuguese Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests.
Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have also requested help from the EU's firefighting force in recent days to deal with forest fires. The force has already been activated as many times this year as in all of last year's summer fire season.
Gallipoli memorials threatened by Turkish fires
In Turkey, where recent wildfires have killed 19 people, parts of the historic region that includes memorials to World War I's Gallipoli campaign were evacuated on Sunday as blazes threatened homes in the country’s northwest provinces.
Çanakkale Mayor Omer Toraman says six villages were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Officials say about 1,300 firefighting personnel backed by 30 aircraft were battling the blaze.
The scorched area of forest in Portugal so far this year is 17 times what it was in 2024, estimated at around 1,390 square kilometres, according to preliminary calculations by the Portuguese Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests.
Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have also requested help from the EU's firefighting force in recent days to deal with forest fires. The force has already been activated as many times this year as in all of last year's summer fire season.
Gallipoli memorials threatened by Turkish fires
In Turkey, where recent wildfires have killed 19 people, parts of the historic region that includes memorials to World War I's Gallipoli campaign were evacuated on Sunday as blazes threatened homes in the country’s northwest provinces.
Çanakkale Mayor Omer Toraman says six villages were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Officials say about 1,300 firefighting personnel backed by 30 aircraft were battling the blaze.
A water-bombing plane spreads water to extinguish a fire in a forested area in Guzelyeli, on the outskirts of Canakkale, northwest Turkey, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025 Khalil Hamra/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved
A wildfire on the peninsula to the north of the Dardanelles Strait led to the closure of visitor facilities at Gallipoli, the site's management said. The area is dotted with cemeteries, memorials and other remnants of battles waged between Ottoman and Allied troops in 1915.
Turkey has been struck by hundreds of fires since late June, fuelled by record-breaking temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.
A wildfire on the peninsula to the north of the Dardanelles Strait led to the closure of visitor facilities at Gallipoli, the site's management said. The area is dotted with cemeteries, memorials and other remnants of battles waged between Ottoman and Allied troops in 1915.
Turkey has been struck by hundreds of fires since late June, fuelled by record-breaking temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.
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