Helicopters fight a wildfire in Guardo, Palencia province, Spain, on August 18, 2025. CESAR MANSO / AFP
Thousands of firefighters backed by soldiers and water-bombing aircraft on Monday, August 18 battled over 20 major wildfires raging across western Spain, where officials say a record area of land has already been burnt.
Spain and neighboring Portugal have been particularly affected by forest fires fuelled by heatwaves and drought blamed on climate change that have hit southern Europe. 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. Spain's civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told public television TVE that 23 blazes were classified as "operational level two," meaning they pose a direct threat to nearby communities.
The fires, now entering their second week, are concentrated in the western regions of Castile and Leon, Galicia and Extremadura, where thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. Residents said they were frustrated with what they regarded as poor preparation and limited resources.
More than 343,000 hectares of land have been destroyed this year in Spain, setting a new national record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The previous record of 306,000 hectares was set in the same period three years ago.
