Over 39,000 hectares burned in Spain as wildfires force thousands to flee

GENEVA

Spain has been battling large wildfires in one of its most severe summers in recent years, with flames devouring tens of thousands of hectares and forcing evacuations from rural villages to UNESCO World Heritage sites, local media reported on Monday.

Spain's Ecological Transition Ministry said 39,155 hectares have burned nationwide between Jan. 1 and Aug. 3 -- 9% more than last year’s figure for the same period, though still 37% below the 10-year average of 62,235 hectares, according to the Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.

Of the 4,735 recorded fires this year, 3,274 were small “conatos” (less than one hectare) and 14 were large wildfires exceeding 500 hectares -- a total that surpasses the decade’s average.

The data concluded that 39.96% of fires have occurred in the northwest of the country, 24.44% in the Mediterranean, 35.27% in inland communities, and 0.34% in the Canary Islands.

In Galicia, several blazes remain active.

In Castro de Escuadro, a fire that triggered emergency Level 2 was lifted on Sunday and destroyed around 300 hectares in the Maceda municipality of the Ourense city.

Other incidents include a controlled blaze in A Fonsagrada, Lugo, affecting about 150 hectares, a stabilized fire in A Estrada, Pontevedra, with some 20 hectares burned, and another in Vilarino de Conso, Ourense, with similar damage.

Further east, the autonomous community of Castilla and Leon is battling around 10 active fires. Among the most serious is the wildfire in Molezuelas de la Carballeda, Zamora, which has burned over 3,500 hectares, prompting the evacuation of several villages.

In the Leon province, the fire in Yeres has led to the evacuation or confinement of roughly 800 people and is threatening Las Medulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its Roman-era gold mines.

In Navarra, an intense blaze hit the towns of Carcastillo and Murillo de Fruto, though authorities said overnight there was no longer any risk to residents.

Other parts of the country have also been affected.

In Tarifa, Cadiz, flames forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people and the removal of roughly 5,000 vehicles from local campsites before the fire was stabilized.

Along Galicia's Atlantic coast, in Ponteceso and Camarinas of A Coruna, fires have consumed at least 110 hectares.

In the western region of Extremadura, firefighters in Las Hurdes, Caceres, have stabilized a blaze that burned more than 3,000 hectares over the past five days, forcing about 200 residents to flee.

According to Cadena SER, around 26,000 hectares burned in Spain in July alone.

Meteorologists attribute this summer's surge in wildfire activity to record-breaking heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 40C (104F) in several provinces, combined with low humidity and strong winds.

Officials warn that high to extreme fire risk alerts remain in place in many areas, and even fires that appear under control can reignite under worsening weather conditions.