Wildfires Devastate Spain and Portugal: Record Land Loss and Mounting Death Toll

Western Europe is grappling with some of the most severe wildfires in its history, as over 20 major blazes continue to rage across Spain, with Portugal also heavily affected.

On Monday, thousands of firefighters — backed by soldiers and water-bombing aircraft — were deployed across western Spain, where officials confirmed that a record-breaking 343,000 hectares (848,000 acres) of land have already been destroyed this year. That figure surpasses the previous national record of 306,000 hectares, set three years ago, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

The fires are concentrated in the regions of Castile and Leon, Galicia, and Extremadura, where communities have been forced to evacuate en masse.

Spain’s civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told public broadcaster TVE that 23 fires have reached “operational level two,” the second-highest alert level, which indicates they pose a direct threat to populated areas.

Two firefighters — one in Spain and one in Portugal — were killed in separate road accidents on Sunday, bringing the death toll to six across both countries. In Spain, one firefighter died when the water truck he was driving overturned on a steep forest road, while a Romanian riding school employee lost his life trying to save horses from encroaching flames. Portugal has seen three deaths, including a firefighter and a former mayor who died while battling a blaze near Guarda.

The intensity and scale of the fires have sparked frustration among local residents. In the village of Vilamartin de Valdeorras, Galicia, Patricia Vila, 42, told AFPTV:

“No one’s shown up here, nobody. Not a single damn helicopter, not one plane, has come to drop water and cool things down a bit.”

Residents have joined the firefighting effort using garden hoses and buckets. Thick smoke has blanketed communities, forcing many to wear masks as ash falls from the sky. Satellite imagery has shown smoke plumes visible from space.

Firefighting resources have been stretched thin, prompting support from across Europe. Spain is receiving aircraft assistance from France, Italy, Slovakia, and the Netherlands. Portugal is being supported by Sweden and Morocco.

Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on TVE that while international help is welcomed,

“The size and severity of the fires and the intensity of the smoke are making airborne action difficult. It’s a very difficult, very complicated situation.”

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro echoed the urgency, stating:

“We are at war, and we must triumph in this fight,”
as the country battles conditions he described as having “unprecedented severity,” with 24 straight days of extreme temperatures and strong winds.

So far, 216,000 hectares of land have burned across Portugal in 2025.

Both countries are hoping for relief from the weather. Spain’s meteorological agency said the heatwave — which pushed temperatures as high as 45°C in some regions — is beginning to subside.

But for now, with fires entering their second week, the crisis shows no signs of ending. Thousands remain displaced, and the full toll of this summer’s infernos is still unfolding.