UPDATE: Second volunteer firefighter dies in Castilla y León region – third death from wildfires.
Wildfires sweeping through multiple parts of Spain in recent days have scorched thousands of hectares and forced thousands from their homes overnight. Two people have died from a direct result of the fires, while the Spanish government has activated a ‘pre-emergency phase’.
The largest evacuations occurred in the region of Castilla y León (over 3,700 people), in the Andalusian province of Cádiz (2,000), and in the Tres Cantos area north of Madrid (180), where one person died from severe burns. ALSO READ: Wildfire in Tres Cantos area of Madrid under control as one fatality confirmed.
With more than 20 fires in the past week alone and over 25,000 hectares burned, Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a ‘pre-emergency phase’ to better coordinate national assistance for affected areas. The state coordination and management committee (Cecod) met urgently on Tuesday, with officials from the Ministries of Ecological Transition and Defence also participating.
This pre-emergency status leaves regional command in place but enables the central government to bolster coordination and deploy national resources, such as aerial firefighting brigades and Military Emergency Unit (UME) troops and equipment.
On Tuesday, aerial firefighting units joined ground crews as blazes raged during a second week of intense heat, high winds and bone-dry conditions. The UME reported that about 1,000 of its personnel were deployed in the provinces of León and Zamora (Castilla y León), Ourense (Galicia), Toledo (Castilla-La Mancha) and Madrid.
Spain is now in the 11th straight day of its second official heatwave of the summer. Exceptional temperatures, along with parched vegetation, have created ideal conditions for wildfires. On Tuesday, more than a dozen active blazes were burning across six regions – Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Andalusia, Madrid and Extremadura – consuming thousands of hectares. ALSO READ: AEMET: latest heatwave in Spain expected to last ‘at least until Sunday’.
So far, the fires have claimed two lives. In Madrid, a 50-year-old man who had suffered burns to 98% of his body after being trapped at the Soto de Viñuelas equestrian centre in the Tres Cantos area, where he worked, died from his injuries on Tuesday. That same day, a 35-year-old volunteer in Nogarejas (León) was killed while using a brush cutter in firefighting efforts.
More than a dozen others have been injured, including two volunteers in Nogarejas, four firefighters in Ourense, and six residents in Abejera (Zamora) who were still in the village after evacuation orders. Most suffered burns or smoke inhalation.
Arson arrests
Around 5,000 police and Guardia Civil officers are involved in firefighting support, road controls, evacuations and investigating suspected arson. Four people have been detained in connection with recent blazes. In Ávila (Castilla y León), a man suspected of starting the Cuevas del Valle fire – which burned 2,200 hectares – was arrested; he had been temporarily employed in firefighting and allegedly set the blaze to secure further work.
In Muxía (Galicia), a 63-year-old woman is accused of igniting five fires. Two more suspects – a 28-year-old man and a woman – were detained in Ourense. Investigators also suspect that the man behind the fire in Caños de Meca (Cádiz), now hospitalised with burned hands, was responsible for that blaze.
Worst-hit areas
The western half of Spain is hardest hit, especially Castilla y León and Galicia. Castilla y León ended Tuesday with nine active fires and 6,500 people evacuated, mainly in León and Zamora. In León, the fire at Las Médulas natural site was reported 80% contained, while in Zamora two major blazes continued unchecked, forcing evacuations in eight villages. ALSO READ: Firefighters struggle to contain blaze near Roman-era heritage site in Castilla y León.
In Galicia, 12 fires were still active on Tuesday night, eight in the Ourense province. The Chandrexa de Queixa fire has burned more than 5,100 hectares — surpassing the total fire damage for all of Galicia in 2024.
Regional rural affairs minister María José Gómez warned the situation was ‘concerning’ due to ‘about 40 or 50’ fires daily, blaming ‘extremely high arson activity’.
Tarifa stabilisation
In Tarifa (Cádiz), where 2,000 people were evacuated on Monday from homes, hotels and beaches, the fire was stabilised by late Tuesday night. Regional presidency minister Antonio Sanz said there were ‘well-founded suspicions’ the fire had been deliberately set.
Elsewhere in Andalusia, 250 people were evacuated from Los Romeros in Jabugo (Huelva) due to a fire sparked by lightning, which remains at emergency level 1.
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Las #FuerzasArmadas, unidas contra el fuego.
🚒@UMEgob despliega sus equipos en zonas afectadas para apoyar en las tareas de extinción del #IFPuercas.
🚁Chinook HT-17 del @EjercitoTierra y ✈️ A400M del @EjercitoAire llevan personal y medios a primera línea.🧑🏻🚒Siempre sumando. pic.twitter.com/NB3uZHAxKG
— Ministerio Defensa (@Defensagob) August 12, 2025
Más de 1.000 militares de la #UME en ataque directo al fuego y otros 2.400 militares de la #UME los apoyan.#Asturias #CastillaYLeón#Extremadura#Galicia
Despliegue ⬇️ #Compromiso #Servicio #Humildad pic.twitter.com/dUkvg8ROME
— UME (@UMEgob) August 13, 2025
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