Spain is facing one of the worst fire seasons in recent decades, with thousands of hectares of forest destroyed and dozens of active fires in several regions of the country.
In the province of Zamora, fires fueled by strong winds have engulfed vast areas of forest. In addition to thousands of firefighters, around 1,900 soldiers have been deployed to help with the operations, while the Spanish Armed Forces have made land and air assets available.
In support of local authorities, German firefighting units have also arrived in northern Spain.
Spanish police have announced the arrest of 23 people suspected of arson, while so far four people have lost their lives as a result of the fires.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 382,000 hectares of land have burned in Spain this year – more than twice the area of metropolitan London and six times larger than the 2006–2024 average for the same period. This summer is considered one of the most destructive for Spain, but authorities are hoping that the end of a long heatwave and expected rainfall will ease the situation in the coming days.
