Scorching heat continues to fuel a devastating Spain wildfire crisis, forcing the government to deploy on Sunday an additional 500 troops to support overwhelmed firefighters. Across the country, 20 major blazes raged, killing three people in the past week and burning more than 115,000 hectares. Neighboring Portugal also faced widespread fires, with more than 155,000 hectares destroyed this year.
In Galicia, several wildfires merged into one massive blaze, shutting down highways and rail services. Local residents, cut off from water pumps due to power outages, resorted to bucket brigades. “The fireplanes come in from all sides, but they don’t come here,” resident Basilio Rodriguez said. Another villager, Lorea Pascual, described the situation bluntly: “It’s insurmountable, it couldn’t be worse.”
Temperatures reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Spain, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warning, “There are still some challenging days ahead and, unfortunately, the weather is not on our side.” Officials confirmed that 27 people had been arrested and 92 investigated for suspected arson since June, raising concerns about man-made destruction intensifying natural disasters.
In Portugal, thousands of firefighters battled eight major blazes, including one that has raged for eight days near Trancoso. Authorities confirmed the first fatality of the season after a resident was killed in a smaller fire nearby.
Spain’s emergency services director Virginia Barcones acknowledged the severity of the fight. “Today there are extremely high temperatures with an extreme risk of fires, which complicates the firefighting efforts,” she said.
