Air force's reassuring message to residents of areas affected by forest fires in Spain: 'As long as there is a flame burning...'

The forest fires in Spain this summer have been particularly devastating, with thousands and thousands of hectares burnt, caused by the extreme heat, the presence of wind or the poor state of some rural areas.

As of yesterday, 19 August 2025, fires continued to rage in different parts of the country, with 64,000 hectares burnt in the province of Orense, which has once again woken up alarmed by the expansion of the flames. Castilla y León also keeps fighting emerging fires, including one which may enter through Salamanca, like the fire in Jarilla (Cáceres) that entered through Extremadura.

The Spanish armed forces are playing a key role in extinguishing the fires, with troops from the UME military emergency unit and the air force.

On Tuesday, 19 August, the Spanish air force, sent a message of reassurance to the residents of the affected areas, in addition to providing the latest data and information on the fires.

"As long as there is a flame burning in our land, we will watch over you from the sky. The 43 squadron continues working tirelessly," wrote the air force, adding that the combined flight time of all their firefighting aircraft on Monday was 62 hours and 45 minutes and that they had released a total of 217 water discharges.

A pilot who took part in the Espejo Público programme on Monday said that nobody from the troops, not even the most experienced members, had ever seen "anything like this". "We are sent to one area, but in a matter of minutes another outbreak appears in another area that is even more complicated to access for the ground resources, so we have to go there," said Lieutenant Rubén Corral.

"We get worried when they are about to affect critical areas, such as villages, motorways, farms. Any area where people's lives could be at risk. The wind doesn't stop, the heatwave doesn't help either. It's a question of continuing to work, never giving up and never throwing in the towel. I believe that together we can do this," Corral said.