Madrid: Spain has sent an additional 500 soldiers from its military emergency unit to bolster firefighting operations as the country battles 20 major wildfires during a searing heatwave, bringing the total number of troops deployed to 1,900.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking in Ourense, one of the worst-hit regions in northwestern Galicia, warned of tough days ahead. “There are still some challenging days ahead, and unfortunately, the weather is not on our side,” he said.
Twelve of Spain’s largest wildfires are currently burning in Galicia, most of them near Ourense. The regional government’s head, Alfonso Rueda, said homes remained under threat, with lockdowns and evacuations in place.
Rail operator Renfe suspended high-speed services between Madrid and Galicia on Sunday due to the fires. At the same time, Galician authorities urged residents to wear masks and limit time outdoors because of smoke and ash.
🟢⚪️⚫️ Extremadura nos necesita y el @EjercitoAire y sus pilotos del 43 Grupo siguen, minuto a minuto, trabajando para sofocar las llamas.
🎥 Imágenes de ataque al fuego en #Hervás. pic.twitter.com/tkSveZx1oN
— Ministerio Defensa (@Defensagob) August 17, 2025
Spain is awaiting reinforcements from other European countries. Two Dutch water-bombing planes are expected to arrive soon, joining French and Italian aircraft already deployed under a European Union cooperation agreement. Firefighters from other nations are also expected in the coming days.
Since June, 27 people have been arrested and 92 remain under investigation for suspected arson, according to the Interior Ministry. In the past week alone, fires in Spain have killed three people and scorched more than 1,150 sq km (445 sq miles).
Temperatures have climbed as high as 45°C (113°F), with some relief forecast from Tuesday, according to the national weather agency AEMET. Neighbouring Portugal is also under strain, with wildfires burning 1,550 sq km (600 sq miles) so far this year. About half of that area was lost in just the past three days.
On Sunday, more than 4,000 firefighters, 1,300 vehicles, and 17 aircraft were battling eight major fires in central and northern Portugal. The largest blaze, near Piodão, has forced evacuations in a popular tourist area. Another fire in Trancoso has been burning for eight days. A resident was killed in a separate blaze on Friday, the country’s first fire-related death of the season.
Proponemos un gran Pacto de Estado frente a la Emergencia Climática.
Lo que está sucediendo nos interpela a todas las Administraciones Públicas, a los Grupos Parlamentarios y al conjunto del país.
Debemos responder de la mano de la Ciencia a la aceleración del cambio climático. pic.twitter.com/SbgzJqy78S
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) August 17, 2025
The crisis extends beyond the Iberian Peninsula. Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania have all requested EU firefighting support. The bloc’s emergency fire response force has already been activated as many times this year as in the entirety of last year’s summer season.
In Turkiye, where wildfires have killed 19 people since late June, six villages were evacuated on Sunday as blazes threatened homes in Canakkale province near the historic Gallipoli peninsula. More than 1,300 firefighters and 30 aircraft were deployed.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying the risk. Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, making the continent increasingly vulnerable to prolonged heatwaves, droughts, and destructive wildfires.
