Spain is currently experiencing one of the most severe waves of wildfires in recent decades. The greatest damage has been recorded in the province of Zamora, where the fire began in the area of Uña de Quintana and quickly spread, also affecting the neighboring province of León. According to preliminary estimates from European monitoring systems, more than 37,900 hectares of land have already burned, making this the largest wildfire ever recorded in the country.
The fire has spread at a staggering rate: just a day ago, it covered less than 23,000 hectares. In the last ten years, two other major wildfires have also occurred in Zamora — in 2022 in the areas of Tábara and Ferreras de Arriba, where 32,528 and 28,046 hectares were destroyed respectively. Together, these two fires at the time affected over 60,000 hectares.
Historical data confirm that the current fire in Zamora has surpassed even the tragedies of recent years in scale. Previously, the most devastating was considered to be the 2004 wildfire in the area of Minas de Riotinto (province of Huelva), which consumed nearly 30,000 hectares, as well as the fire in Valencia, which destroyed 28,879 hectares.
This year, wildfires have affected several regions at once. In addition to Zamora and León, serious fires have been recorded in Galicia, especially in the province of Ourense, where more than 20,000 hectares burned in the areas of Chandresa de Queixa, Oímbra, and A Mezquita, with about 7,000 and over 5,000 hectares affected respectively. In Cáceres, in the area of Villar del Pedroso, the fire destroyed more than 3,000 hectares. In recent days, four fires have been reported in the province of Cáceres, each burning more than a thousand hectares.
According to the latest data, more than 80,000 hectares of forests and farmland have burned in Spain over the past week. This figure already exceeds the historic maximum for the same period in the past twenty years. Nevertheless, the total area burned since the start of the year is still below the record set in 2022, when by this time more than 240,000 hectares had been destroyed, compared to about 150,000 hectares now.
Experts note that the rapid spread of the fires is due to a combination of factors. Spring rains encouraged active plant growth, which dried out by summer and became easy fuel for the flames. The hot weather and strong winds of recent days have only worsened the situation, making the firefighters’ work even more difficult.
As a result of the fires, thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes. The most affected regions remain Ourense, León, Zamora, and Cáceres. In some areas, the fire has been brought under control, but in others, the fight against the flames continues and the situation remains tense.
Spanish emergency services continue to work around the clock to contain the outbreaks. Modern satellite monitoring systems are being used to track active fires and forecast their potential spread. However, experts emphasize that the situation can change literally every hour.
Wildfire season in Spain is not yet over, and already this year ranks among the most severe in terms of burned area over the past two decades, surpassed only by 2012 and 2022. Authorities are urging residents to exercise caution and follow official updates on the situation.
