Spain and Portugal are battling their most punishing fire season in years, with at least six deaths and vast tracts of forest scorched as a record heatwave eases but the danger persists. This Portugal wildfires update highlights that Spain has burned about 344,000 hectares and Portugal about 235,000 hectares (Reuters), according to European monitoring and multiple government briefings. Thousands of firefighters, soldiers and aircraft remain deployed across both countries.
Spain wildfire fronts intensify
Spain faces major fronts in Galicia, Castile and León, Extremadura and parts of Andalusia. Authorities have reported four fatalities and significant disruption to transport, including closures near the Camino de Santiago and suspended rail lines in the northwest. Troops and aerial assets continue to reinforce exhausted ground crews. Officials link the brutal season to a 16-day heatwave that dried fuels and sharpened winds. Spain wildfire alerts remain high in the south and interior despite a slight cooldown.
A fresh special advisory from Spain’s national meteorological agency (AEMET), reported by Reuters, confirmed the turning point. Spain’s heatwave ended around Monday, Aug 18, with a progressive cooldown and storm-prone conditions that can fan flames.
Portugal wildfires update and emergency response
In Portugal, Civil Protection has mobilized around 2,700–3,000+ personnel and 30+ aircraft on priority fires in the north and center. Authorities confirmed two deaths in recent days as evacuations and road closures continued in high-risk districts. Lisbon triggered the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to draw additional support, and the government extended a nationwide alert amid persistent drought and wind. This Portugal wildfires update reflects those emergency measures and current force levels.
Rising toll and ongoing investigations
Fresh incidents underline the strain. Five fire-crew contractors were injured, one seriously, while tackling a blaze in Sabugal near the Spanish border on Tuesday. Separate official briefings noted flare-ups in Pampilhosa da Serra and Covilhã on Monday night. Authorities urged residents to follow local evacuation and access restrictions.
The combined toll continues to rise. A report on Tuesday put confirmed fatalities at six across the Iberian neighbors, with tens of thousands evacuated in Spain since early August as conditions intensified. Spain wildfire commanders have also asked prosecutors to pursue suspected arson in several cases, while stressing that most ignitions start near roads or settlements.
European scale of wildfires
Broader European context shows the scale. EU scientists report 894,770 hectares burned across the bloc so far this year (JRC/EFFIS), far above the 2024 pace, underscoring a severe wildfires Europe season driven by heat and drought. Smoke plumes have drifted across borders, complicating air quality in parts of France and beyond.
Relief may be uneven. AEMET expects cooler air and higher humidity in the northwest, with storms and erratic winds elsewhere; extreme risk persists in southern and interior zones. Portugal’s national alert maintains restrictions on rural work that can spark ignitions as command centers redeploy aircraft to new starts.
Residents across the peninsula continue to track fires in Spain and Portugal through official channels. Emergency services reiterate simple rules: obey closures, avoid non-essential travel into fire zones, and monitor local advisories. As reinforcements arrive under EU mechanisms, commanders stress that the coming days remain critical despite the break in heat.
The human cost is visible in scorched hillsides, destroyed homes and disrupted pilgrim and holiday routes. Yet steady weather improvement, cross-border aid and concentrated air support offer a path to containment if new ignitions can be prevented. That remains the core challenge in a summer defined by wildfires Europe and persistent fires in Spain and Portugal.
