Spain deploys another 500 soldiers to battle 20 big wildfires
Spain has deployed a further 500 soldiers from the military emergency unit to support firefighting operations as it battles 20 major wildfires across the country during a heatwave that began last week, Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at a news conference on Sunday in Ourense, one of the most affected areas, an increase in military reinforcements, bringing the total number of soldiers deployed across Spain to 1,900.
Firefighters are tackling 12 major wildfires in the northwestern region of Galicia alone, all of them near the city of Ourense, the head of the Galician regional government Alfonso Rueda also said during the news conference.
The announcements came as authorities awaited the arrival of promised aircraft reinforcements from other European countries.
National rail operator Renfe said it suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services scheduled for Sunday due to the fires.
Galician authorities advised people to wear face masks and limit their time spent outdoors to avoid inhaling smoke and ash.
Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades with Spain among the hardest-hit countries.
With temperatures above 45 °C, many parts of Southern #Europe are burning: a rare fire tornado tore through #Portugal as wildfires rage across #Spain, #Greece, #Italy, and #Turkey. Spain alone has lost 148,000 ha and displaced 9,500 people. The #pyrocene has arrived in Europe. pic.twitter.com/6Cr6oluMIS
— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) August 16, 2025
Severe wildfire affecting Rubiá, Ourense Province, Spain 🇪🇸 (17.08.2025) pic.twitter.com/FllGw6COnz
— Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) August 17, 2025
Europe is facing its worst wildfire season on record as deadly wildfires rage across France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Albania. More than 2.4 million acres have burned across Europe. pic.twitter.com/QLSdIGbQAh
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) August 15, 2025
In the past week alone, fires there have killed three people and burned more than 1,150sq km (445sq miles) while neighbouring Portugal also battles widespread blazes.
Temperatures are expected to reach up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas on Sunday, Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, said.
Spain was expecting the arrival of two Dutch water-dumping planes that were to join aircraft from France and Italy already helping Spanish authorities under a European cooperation agreement.
Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region in the coming days, Barcones told public broadcaster RTVE.
Ministry of Interior data show 27 people have been arrested and 92 were under investigation for suspected arson since June.
Thousands of firefighters were battling eight large blazes in central and northern Portugal, the largest of them near Piodao, a scenic, mountainous area popular with tourists.
Another blaze in Trancoso, farther north, has now been raging for eight days. A smaller fire just east of there killed a local resident on Friday – the first death this season.
Portugal is set for cooler weather in the coming days. A national state of alert due to wildfires was imposed on August 2 and was due to end on Sunday, a day before two Swedish firefighting planes were to arrive.
As in Spain, Portugal’s resources have been stretched. On Sunday, more than 4,000 firefighters and 1,300 vehicles were deployed as well as 17 aircraft, the Civil Protection Agency said.
Earlier it was reported that wildfires swept across Spain, Portugal and Greece during unremitting heatwave.
