Spain and Portugal Ravaged by Record-Breaking Wildfires
In a fiery rampage of unprecedented proportions, Spain and Portugal find themselves in the heart of Europe’s most catastrophic wildfire season in recent memory.
Data released by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) paints a grim picture, with a staggering 9,670 square kilometres of land engulfed in flames across the EU by 19 August, nearly three times the average recorded between 2006 and 2024.
Southern Europe, with a focus on Spain and Portugal, is grappling with a wildfire crisis not seen in over two decades.
Spain, in particular, has suffered the loss of nearly 4,000 square kilometres of precious forest and farmland, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 at 3,060 square kilometres.
Meanwhile, Portugal has witnessed the destruction of over 2,610 square kilometres, almost double the damage seen in the previous year.
The gravity of the situation was underscored by Spain’s civil-protection chief, warning of an imminent threat to populated areas, while Defence Minister Margarita Robles lamented the challenges posed by thick smoke hindering airborne firefighting efforts.
A scorching heatwave lasting 16 days, ranking as the third-longest on record, pushed temperatures to a blistering 45 degrees Celsius over the weekend, as reported by Spain’s state weather agency, Aemet.
Portugal, too, has faced a grim reality, with over 2,610 square kilometres of land razed by wildfires since the beginning of the year, according to EFFIS.
In a grim reminder of the devastation wrought by wildfires, Portugal suffered a tragic fire season in 2017, with a staggering 5,630 square kilometres scorched and over 100 lives lost.
As of Thursday morning, five major wildfires continued to rage across mainland Portugal, with thousands of firefighters battling tirelessly in various districts, as per the country’s civil protection agency.
Recent figures as of 19 August 2025 have revealed a level of destruction exceeding four times the long-term seasonal average, standing at approximately 244,000 hectares by this point in the year.
EFFIS also reported a staggering 1,784 significant fires since the start of 2025, a marked increase from the 1,185 recorded during the same period last year.
The wildfires have unleashed a staggering 38 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, more than triple the emissions from the previous year. — Euronews
