Spain wildfire risk to surge to extreme levels across most of country, weather agency warns
Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, warned on Thursday that wildfire risk will rise to very high or extreme levels across most of the country in the coming days, despite a recent drop in active fires due to firefighting efforts and cooler temperatures.
Temperatures have eased slightly after the fourth heatwave of the summer, but maximums remain between 35°C and 39°C in regions including Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla y León, and Madrid, with yellow and orange alerts in place. By Friday and Saturday, alerts will expand to Catalonia, Aragón, Navarra, and the Valencian Community, with some areas, such as Córdoba’s countryside, expected to reach 40°C.
AEMET’s risk maps show extreme and very high wildfire danger—marked in red and orange—spreading across nearly the entire peninsula and islands by the weekend. The Ministry of Ecological Transition advised the public to avoid overcrowding fragile areas, dispose of waste properly, refrain from parking on dry vegetation, keep emergency access routes clear, and respect fire bans.
The percentage of Spanish territory at extreme risk will jump from 0.9% on Thursday to 44% by Tuesday, August 11, while areas at very high risk will rise from 27% to 51% between Thursday and Friday, remaining elevated through the week. The risk will remain very high or extreme in large parts of the country on August 12, coinciding with a solar eclipse.
Experts cited by elDiario.es linked the heightened risk to prolonged dry conditions, with some regions experiencing two months without rain. Cristina Santín, a researcher at the CSIC-University of Oviedo-Principado de Asturias Biodiversity Institute, noted that wildfires depend not only on temperature but also on humidity levels, wind, and the duration of dry spells. Carlos Madrigal, dean of Madrid’s College of Forestry Engineers, said the first heatwave of the summer dries vegetation, making it highly flammable. Félix Pérez, president of APRAFOGA, added that fine, dead fuels—such as dry grass—quickly adjust to ambient humidity and temperature, increasing ignition risk under current conditions.
The warnings come as Europe grapples with a broader heatwave. In France, wildfires have burned over 42,000 hectares, forcing more than 300,000 evacuations, while Spain has seen 80,000 hectares affected, according to AFP. Italy placed all 27 of its major cities under red alert for heat on Thursday, and Germany reported nearly 12,000 heat-related deaths in a single week. The European Environment Agency’s Hans Martin Füssel told EUobserver that excessive heat poses major health and economic risks, with France facing potential losses of €211 billion in economic output by 2030 due to heatwaves, per an Allianz SE analysis.
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