Spain: 98,784 Hectares Burned in 199 Wildfires This Year

Spain Burns 98,784 Hectares: Double the Amount from the Same Period in 2024

The fire in Molezuelas de la Carballeda (Zamora) crossed into León on the Sunday it began with a violence that technicians had not seen before. In its path, it left at least two dead—a volunteer and a resident of El Bierzo—and, according to maps from the European Copernicus satellite system, around 37,000 hectares scorched. It is poised to be the largest wildfire in Spain since records began, rivaling those that have ravaged Galicia, Extremadura, and Castilla y León in just two weeks. The national toll: 98,784 hectares burned in 199 fires so far this year, more than double the same period in 2024.

199 Wildfires and Double the Area Compared to 2024

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) leaves little room for interpretation. In the same period of 2024, 42,615 hectares had burned across 219 fires. Twelve months later, the affected area has more than doubled. Galicia has borne the brunt, with over 70,000 hectares and two fires competing for the record: the Larouco fire, with 18,000 hectares, is now the largest in Galician history, surpassing the Chandrexa de Queixa fire with 17,500.

In Extremadura, the Jarilla wildfire exceeded 15,000 hectares and a 155-kilometer perimeter, entering Salamanca through Candelario and threatening the Jerte Valley. Only 5% of the area's cherry trees were affected, according to the regional government. In León, the Anllares fire forced the evacuation of seven villages in the Valle de Fornela—over five hundred people relocated to Fabero—in the heart of the Ancares Biosphere Reserve.

• 37,000 hectares in the Molezuelas-León fire
• 18,000 in Larouco, Galicia's largest
• 15,000 in Jarilla, with a 155 km perimeter

Why is the Forest Burning? From Abandoned Pastures to Arson Arrests

The diagnosis here is twofold. One line of thought suggests that the forests have become fuel due to rural abandonment: ruminants have been pushed to the cliffs, undergrowth is rampant, grazing and transhumance have been practically prohibited, and without animals to clear it, vegetation awaits a spark. Another part of the analysis is clear and points to human action: it asserts that almost all fires are deliberately set, with 25 individuals reportedly arrested for forest fires.

Against both narratives, some messages claim that institutional discourse emphasizes climate change and so-called 'sixth-generation wildfires,' capable of spreading on their own. The thread also links to a message about a rotating convective column in Boca de Huérgano (León), which sucked in air and generated secondary ignitions. Meanwhile, versions circulate attributing the fires to a plan to clear land for wind or photovoltaic farms. These are unverified hypotheses.

Las Médulas and Roman Canals Under Threat

The fire reached a landscape that is more than just forest. Las Médulas, in El Bierzo, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a cultural landscape shaped by the Romans. Geologists from the University of León, led by Javier Fernández Lozano, have warned that the thermal shock of the flames could erode the Roman canals that are part of the enclave.

Not everyone agrees on the extent of the damage. Some argue that no cultural heritage elements have burned and that the real damage is to the forest and landscape. The discussion remains open. In northern Extremadura, the Garganta de los Papúos—a popular canyoning and swimming spot of environmental and tourist value—narrowly escaped being added to that list.

What Comes After the Fire: Mud, Floods, and Less Water

A burned forest is not just ash. By losing its capacity to retain rainwater, the first strong autumn storms can lead to floods, rivers of black mud, and landslides, as warned in a message shared on the thread. This summer's emergency will lead to others for years to come, a cost that rarely makes it into the official balance sheet.

The inventory of what has been saved is short and, in part, a matter of chance. The chestnut grove of Hervás was spared except at the highest elevations. The beech forests near the Picos de Europa survived because the wind changed direction. With a southerly wind, the outcome would have been different.

One piece of data doesn't quite fit. As one participant points out, a burned forest can regenerate with young growth much sooner than disaster photos suggest, and forests were historically utilized more intensely—for pine needles, firewood, ovens—than they are now. Spain records double the burned area compared to last year without yet having decided whether its forests are a problem of climate, management, or someone with a match.