Spain is close to bringing under control the devastating wildfires that have raged across the country this month, claiming four lives and burning vast areas of countryside, the country’s civil protection and emergencies chief said on Saturday. ALSO READ: Death toll from wildfires now four, as another firefighter dies after truck overturns.
‘There are fewer of them, and the end is a lot nearer,’ Virginia Barcones told state broadcaster TVE.
She warned, however, that the remaining outbreaks were still highly dangerous. ‘We will need a final push to be done with this horrible situation,’ she added.
Fire crews, supported by teams from other EU nations, have been working for weeks to contain blazes that have destroyed more than 350,000 hectares in just two weeks, according to figures from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). ALSO READ: Wildfires in Spain this year confirmed as most destructive in country’s history.
The devastation has been concentrated in the northwestern regions of Galicia and Castilla y León, as well as the western region of Extremadura. The wildfires erupted during a two-week heatwave that saw temperatures soar beyond 40C. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez visits wildfire-hit Galicia and pledges ‘national pact’ to address climate emergency.
The crisis has underscored not only the impact of climate change but also long-term challenges in Spain’s rural areas. Castilla y León, for example, has faced years of depopulation, an ageing demographic, and the decline of agriculture and livestock grazing, which once helped reduce forest fuel. ALSO READ: Spain’s wildfires spark new political clash, as PP call civil protection head ‘just another arsonist’.
After weeks in which strong winds fanned the flames, conditions have recently improved, helping firefighters slow the spread.
Barcones confirmed that 18 fires remained active, all but one at operational level 2, the classification used when lives and property are at risk. She singled out the blaze in Iguena, in northwest Castilla y León, as especially concerning.
Even so, she said, ‘the overall feeling is that it is improving, going in the right direction, and that less is burning’.
While some villages are still under evacuation orders, many residents have been able to return to their homes since Friday. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez promises financial aid for reconstruction of areas hit by wildfires.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Protección Civil asegura que la evolución de los incendios es “favorable” pero pide un “último esfuerzo”https://t.co/Oda3tzyKaS
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) August 23, 2025
Quiero felicitar a @VirBarcones y a @proteccioncivil por su labor al pie del cañón todos estos días.
Todos los efectivos al alcance del Estado han sido desplegados para combatir los incendios.
Gracias a la solidaridad de las CC.AA. y de los países que están con nuestro país. pic.twitter.com/rwqejlqixO
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) August 22, 2025
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.