Map of wildfires in Spain: surface area burned this year is largest recorded in the last 30 years

Spain's forests still bear the memory of the fire that devastated the country in 2022. According to Copernicus data (the EU's satellite observation programme), numerous outbreaks, such as the one in Sierra de la Culebra in Zamora, burned a total of 306,555 hectares. This figure was higher only in 1994, when the area burned amounted to more than 437,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's forest fire analysis reports.

The wave of wildfires that Spain is suffering at the moment is getting closer and closer to that of 31 years ago. The tragedy in 2022 has already been exceeded by more than 40,000 hectares, although there were 493 fires three years ago, compared to less than half that figure this year - 228. Copernicus points out that the surface area devastated this summer has already reached 348,238 hectares - the highest figure in the historical series, which began in 2006, and in the last three decades.

The situation is particularly worrying in Zamora, León, Orense and Extremadura, where the fire in Jarilla has been advancing. There are currently 40 active fires in Spain, 23 of which are "particularly worrying", as minister for ecological transition and the demographic challenge Sara Aagesen said on Monday.

All hopes are pinned on the eventual end of the heatwave, which has been active in the country for the past few weeks. The high temperatures in the last few days, the low humidity and the intense winds have been the perfect cocktail for the advance of fires. A change in weather conditions will favour their extinguishing.

The drop in temperatures that showed the first signs on Monday, except in areas of Alicante and Murcia, where the red heat warnings continued, is expected to spread to the rest of the Spanish mainland today. Cooler winds linked to Atlantic fronts will also arrive. "The drop in temperatures, as well as some rainfall in Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria and even the north of León, will benefit the extinguishing of the westernmost fires," said meteorologist Francisco Martín León, adding that the air will also increase in humidity. The fire in Extremadura, however, will only slow down if the temperatures drop.

These favourable conditions will last until Thursday. Temperatures are expected to rise again on Friday, but only for a short while, because the arrival of a 'Dana' (cold drop) will change the conditions once again on Sunday. Regardless of these transitions, temperatures will not be as high as those of the first half of August.