Despite a slight drop in temperatures across Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned on Tuesday that the country still faces ‘difficult hours’ in its ongoing battle against devastating wildfires, which have scorched a record area of land this year.
‘I ask the media, and also citizens, to exercise extreme caution, to not let our guard down. Critical moments remain, difficult hours remain,’ Sánchez said during a visit to Extremadura, one of the three regions worst affected by the fires and bordering Portugal.
As well as in Extremadura, the wildfire devastation in Spain has been also concentrated in the northwestern regions of Galicia and Castilla y León, and four people have died – including three firefighters. ALSO READ: Death toll from wildfires now four, as another firefighter dies after truck overturns.
On his visit to Extremadura, Sánchez also said that his government would be approve financial aid for the areas affected by the fires. ‘We will stand by their residents in the recovery and reconstruction,’ he said.
Sánchez said that his government has a ‘commitment to tackling the task of reconstruction, once the fires are extinguished and we know the economic impact’, and which he said would ‘naturally also be supported by resources from the Spanish state’.
To bolster firefighting efforts, the Interior Ministry confirmed that German emergency units had arrived in northern Spain on Tuesday. Over 20 vehicles were sent to assist in tackling an ongoing blaze in Jarilla, in the Extremadura region.
Following more than two weeks of extreme heat temperatures, Tuesday brought some relief,with cooler air and higher humidity spreading across much of the country.
These improved weather conditions offered firefighters a crucial advantage in their efforts to contain the fires, which have destroyed more than 100,000 hectares in under two weeks.
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Spain has seen over 343,000 hectares burn so far this year. That figure is over six times the average area burned between 2006 and 2024 for the same period.
This year now stands as Spain’s worst wildfire season since records began in 2006, surpassing the devastation of 2022, when flames consumed 306,000 hectares. ALSO READ: Wildfires in Spain this year confirmed as most destructive in country’s history.
Authorities have also reported that several of the fires were deliberately set. The Guardia Civil said on Tuesday that 23 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of arson, and investigations are ongoing into 89 additional cases.
Sánchez’s trip to Extremadura followed a similar visit to Galicia on Sunday. On both occasions, he reiterated the urgent need for coordinated action on climate. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez visits wildfire-hit Galicia and pledges ‘national pact’ to address climate emergency.
Calling for a ‘state pact to confront the climate emergency’, he stressed the growing intensity and frequency of climate-related disasters.
‘Science tells us, common sense tells us too, especially that of farmers and ranchers, of those who live in rural areas, that the climate is changing, that the climate emergency is becoming more and more recurrent, more frequent and has an ever greater impact,’ Sánchez said.
Climate experts warn that global warming is amplifying both the severity and frequency of heatwaves and droughts across Europe, increasing the continent’s vulnerability to wildfires.
Rising temperatures reduce humidity in the air, vegetation and soil, while lowering the ignition point for flammable material. As a result, heatwaves turn landscapes into tinderboxes, complicating firefighting efforts and making blazes significantly harder to bring under control.
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El Consejo de Ministros declarará el próximo martes zonas afectadas por una emergencia de protección civil a muchos de los territorios que están sufriendo incendios.
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) August 19, 2025
Lo ha anunciado el presidente @sanchezcastejon esta mañana.
Más información👇🏼 https://t.co/LFF3wxGDTS
El próximo martes en el Gobierno aprobaremos las ayudas para las zonas golpeadas por los incendios.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) August 19, 2025
Estaremos al lado de sus vecinos en la recuperación y reconstrucción. pic.twitter.com/KFczp2B8pS
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