Thousands of firefighters across Spain and Portugal were still battling multiple wildfires on Thursday, as forecasters warned of rising temperatures that could worsen conditions across the Iberian Peninsula in the coming days.
In Spain’s central province of Ávila (Castilla y León), emergency services reported that firefighters – supported by the country’s military emergencies unit (UME) – had worked through the night to contain fires, particularly one near the village of El Arenal, located roughly 100 kilometres west of Madrid.
Meanwhile, in the western province of Cáceres (Extremadura), local officials said a fire that had scorched around 2,500 hectares was now largely under control. Most evacuation orders in the area had already been lifted.
In neighbouring Portugal, over 2,000 firefighters were deployed, focusing mainly on active wildfires in the country’s north.
Much of the region was already experiencing high wildfire risk, and both countries are bracing for a spike in temperatures over the weekend.
Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, forecast that temperatures in central and southern parts of the country could surpass 40C by Sunday. The heatwave is expected to last until Thursday. In Portugal, most regions are expected to see temperatures rise into the high 30C starting Saturday.
Although Spain endured record-breaking June heat, with temperatures surpassing 40C on several occasions, the total area burned by wildfires this year has so far been smaller than in previous years. ALSO READ: Authorities issue warnings, as Spain & southern Europe hit by summer’s first major heatwave.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe has been warming at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, making it the fastest-warming continent on Earth.
Experts continue to stress that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of both heatwaves and dry conditions – particularly across southeastern Europe – leaving the region increasingly susceptible to wildfires. ALSO READ: Climate change made recent EU heatwave ‘up to 4C hotter’ and ‘tripled heat-related deaths’.
The continued burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gasoline contributes to the emission of heat-trapping gases, which drive global climate change.
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⚠️ ACTUALIZACIÓN | Aviso especial por ola de calor.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) August 1, 2025
→ Las altas temperaturas se prolongarán, hasta al menos, el próximo jueves.
→ Afectará a toda la Península, aunque en el Cantábrico no será un calor tan persistente.
+ info 👉https://t.co/48Lsr8QC4f pic.twitter.com/NG49Raej34
🔥 Más de 1.600 militares de la @UMEgob y 700 medios han sido desplegados desde el inicio de la campaña contra incendios.
— Ministerio Defensa (@Defensagob) August 1, 2025
➡️ A día de hoy, hay 500 militares y 180 medios trabajando en los incendios activos en #Ávila, #Cáceres y #Pontevedra. pic.twitter.com/kuvl7CYT4y
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